Asked by: Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Institute for Gender Equality.
Answered by Lord Nash
The European Institute of Gender Equality (EIGE) is an autonomous body of the European Union, which was established to contribute to and strengthen the promotion of gender equality. EIGE products, which include comparable data and research, have been utilised by the Government to inform evidence-based policy-making. However, there are a number of bodies, including the Council of Europe and OECD that produce similar products.
Asked by: Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Railway Agency.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is considering carefully all the potential implications arising from the UK’s exit from the EU, including the implications for the continued participation in the European Union Agency for Railways.
As part of the exit negotiations the Government will discuss with the EU and member states how best to continue cooperation in the field of rail safety and standards.
Asked by: Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Network and Information Security Agency.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
Membership of the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) is one of the ways in which the UK discusses cyber security policy and shares expertise with European partners.
In 2016, ENISA received €10.1m of central funding from the EU budget. The UK contributes to the budget as a whole, not to individual projects or agencies.
Asked by: Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Maritime Safety Agency.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) hosts a range of information systems that are used by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch More broadly, EMSA’s supporting role is broadly in line with the Government’s vision of a maritime transport system driving forward economic growth and market efficiencies.
With regard to the Government’s contribution to the EMSA budget, the UK makes a contribution to the EU Budget as a whole, and not to individual spending programmes within it. However, the Government is represented on EMSA’s Administration Board the EMSA management takes full account of better regulation and value for money principles in its ongoing delivery of its services.
The Government is considering carefully all the potential implications arising from the UK’s exit from the EU, including the implications for the continued participation in the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). As part of the exit negotiations the Government will discuss with the EU and Member States how best to continue cooperation in the field of maritime safety, pollution and security.
Asked by: Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Chemicals Agency.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) provides a range of centralised functions across a number of EU chemicals regimes, including facilitating collective decisions amongst EU Member States. Under the EU REACH Regulation, it manages data about chemicals on the EU market. Chemicals manufactured or imported in quantities above 1 tonne a year must be registered with ECHA to access the single market.
The UK’s current involvement with ECHA comes as part of our membership of EU. ECHA is funded mainly through a combination of industry fees for a variety of the services it provides and direct EU funding. The higher the income generated from fees, the lower the EU budget subsidy. As ECHA is an agency of the EU, the UK’s contribution to its running costs is through our general contribution to the EU budget.
Asked by: Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Union Intellectual Property Office.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Government recognises the importance of an effective and balanced intellectual property regime to support the UK's innovative and creative industries and to make the UK an attractive place for inward investment.
In order to inform our position in the upcoming negotiations with the EU, the Government continues to undertake a rigorous and extensive programme of analysis, which includes intellectual property. The UK's future relationship with the EUIPO will be a matter for negotiations and so it would not be appropriate for me to discuss the details of any analysis now.
Asked by: Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Fisheries Control Agency.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) is funded from the EU budget, to which the UK is the second largest net contributor.
Asked by: Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency is funded from the European Union budget. It is a Union Agency established to deliver the EU’s satellite navigation programmes Galileo and EGNOS. The Agency will be responsible for operating the systems, managing the services provided and for promoting their adoption to create new industrial markets.
The Government recognises the benefits our involvement in these programmes brings for the UK.
Asked by: Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Food Safety Authority.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Departments are currently working to understand the impacts that withdrawal from the European Union will have across a number of areas, including understanding the costs and benefits derived from membership of EU agencies; this work includes the European Food Safety Authority.
Asked by: Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Defence Agency.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The European Defence Agency (EDA) has a key role in facilitating European cooperation on capability development in support of the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy. EDA membership requires a financial contribution towards the Agency's budget; this currently amounts to £3.9 million for the UK. The UK benefits from EDA work through involvement in a range of projects and initiatives, and UK industry has access to EU opportunities and funding, especially in the area of research and technology.