The Gazette 1975

Legal Europe Developments in the European Communities Fifth Report-August 1975

Ireland's Presidency of the Council and of Euro- pean Political Co-operation. 1.23 The Treaties establishing the European Com- munities provide that the office of President of the Council of the European Communities is held for a term of six months by each of the member States in turn in the following order: Belgium, Denmark, Ger- many, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Nether- lands and the UK. The same rotation applies to Euro- pean political co-operation. In accordance with these arrangements Ireland occupied the Presidency of the Council and of European political co-operation in the period from 1 January 1975 to 30 June 1975. A des- cription of the role of the Presidency in the frame- work of European political co-operation and of the issues which arose during the six months is given in Part II of this Chapter. 1.24 The major organisational implications of the Presidency of the Council for Ireland were: Arranging and chairing meetings of the Council. Charing committees and working groups coming within the aegis of the Council Chairing consultation meetings of the Member States before and during meetings of Internat- ional Organisations and conferences. Chairing regular consultations of Diplomatic Re- presentatives of the Member States in capitals of non-member countries and Preparing the Council's work programme for the period. 1.25 During the first six months of 1975 Irish Min- isters chaired twenty-seven meetings of the Council in its various formations (paragraph 2.21) and Ireland pro- vided chairmen for some 190 Council committees and working groups. Irish representatives played an active part in arranging and chairing consultation meetings to co-ordinate the positions of the membeT States be- fore and during meetings of International Organisations such as the United Nations ( UN ), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) and of Conferences such as CSCE and the Law of the Sea Conference. Irish representatives in non-member countries also chaired meetings of Diplomatic Represen- tatives to discuss in particular matters relating to Euro- pean political co-operation, information questions, and trade, commercial and economic matters. Ir countries where Ireland did not have resident diplomatic rep-

resentation Italy as the next member State i n of rotation usually acted for the Presidency. 1.26 In February 1974 the Council had agreed th?t the country occupying the Presidency should submit to the Council at the beginning of each six month period a programme of work together with a timetable for its implementation. The work programme for the Irish Presidency of the Council was drawn up towards the end of 1974 and was discussed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs with the full Commission in December. These discussions covered the order of priorities for the period, the timescale and how best to deal with the problems which were likely to arise. This was an im- portant step in the organisation of Ireland's Presidency and one which indicated the closer relationship between the Council and the Commission which it wa s Ireland's intention to encourage. 1.27 One of the principal objectives of the Irish Presidency was to strengthen he working relationship between the Council and the European Parliament. In pursuance of this the Minister for Foreign Affairs as President of the Council attended all seven part- sessions of the Parliament held during the six months to report on the outcome of Ministerial meetings, to answer questions and to take part in debates. Other Ministers, as appropriate, also attended part-sessions of the Parliament. In addressing the Parliament at the end of the Presidency the Minister for Foreign Affairs expressed his conviction that further progress towards European integration could not be made except through the evolution of Parliament and through a parrallel development i n the powers of Parliament and in its method of election (paragraphs 2.2 to 2.12). Other significant institutional developments during the Irish Presidency were The movement towards the greater use of majority voting in the Council (paragraphs 2.18 to 2.20) The institution of procedures to enable Parliament to address questions On political co-operation to the President-in-Office (paragraph 1.40) and Thp development of the practice of the Commun- itiy's speaking with one voice at major inter- national meetings through a representative of the Presidency and a representative of the Com- mission, in particular at the Euro-Arab dialogue (paragraph 1.44) and the preparatory meeting for the International Energy Conference (para- graphs 19.3 and 19.24 to 19.27). the order The organisation of the first European Council paragraph 1.2 to 1.6)

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