Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how European Union regulations are brought into being; what is their force in United Kingdom law; and how many have been issued since 1976.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
An EU regulation is adopted by a legislative procedure, i.e. by the ordinary legislative procedure or by a special legislative procedure, (see Article 289(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)). The legal effect of an EU regulation is that it is directly applicable in the national law of all the Member States and it is binding in its entirety, (see Article 288 TFEU). The Government does not centrally hold information on each EU regulation issued since 1976. The Eur-Lex database, available at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html holds further information on EU legislation.
A copy of Articles 288 and 289 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) is attached.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 25 November (HL Deb, col 840), what assessment they have made of the legal implications of (1) the United Kingdom's invasion of Iraq, and (2) Russia's annexation of Ukraine.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
(1) The UK took military action in Iraq in 2003 on the basis of UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) dating back to Resolution 678, and culminating in UNSCR 1441 which was passed unanimously on 8 November 2002.
(2) The UK does not, and will not, recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia. This action violated the UN Charter, was illegal under international law and breached a number of commitments Russia had made. It is for these reasons that Russia has subsequently been isolated in the Security Council and in the wider international community.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 25 November (HL Deb, col 840), whether they supported the European Union's attempts to bring Ukraine within its sphere of influence; and what assessment they have made of the effect of those attempts on the present situation in Ukraine.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
This Government is a strong supporter of a closer EU-Ukraine relationship. The signing of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement in June is a significant step towards closer relations, and a commitment by Ukraine to European norms and values. In the long term this could lead to EU membership for Ukraine, if that is what its people and government want, and if Ukraine is able to implement the wide ranging economic, political and judicial reforms that would be necessary to meet the demanding conditions of entry.
The crisis in Ukraine was not a result of the EU’s actions or the proposed signature of the Association Agreement in 2013. It is very clear where responsibility for the crisis lies – in Russia’s deliberate acts to destabilise its neighbour, its illegal annexation of Crimea and continued support of the separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to re-consider the reply given by the Lord Privy Seal on 27 October to Lord Pearson of Rannoch (HL Deb, col 1010) to the effect that the European Union’s new €300 billion Strategic Agenda for the Union in Times of Change affects only the Eurozone and that the United Kingdom will not have to contribute to it.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
I refer the Noble Lord to the letter of 29 October correcting the reply, placed in the Library of the House by the Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords, the right Hon. the Baroness Stowell of Beeston. A copy of the letter is attached for ease of reference.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether at the European Council meeting on 23 and 24 October the Prime Minister agreed to the European Commission's new €300 billion investment package over 2015 to 2017, known as the Strategic Agenda for the Union in Times of Change, or whether he was outvoted.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Strategic Agenda and the European Commission’s proposed €300billion investment package are different things. The Strategic Agenda for the Union in Times of Change, as agreed by EU Leaders in the June 2014 European Council, outlines five priorities to guide the EU over the next five years. These priorities are stronger economies with more jobs; societies enabled to empower and protect; a secure energy and climate future; a trusted area of fundamental freedoms and effective joint action in the world. The planned investment package is a proposed way to work towards the first of these priorities. Exact details of the package, including financing, are yet to be determined. The European Commission’s Task Force will report to the European Council in December about the next steps. The UK has a great deal of experience to share in this area by virtue of our National Infrastructure Plan and Guarantee Scheme.Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by the Prime Minister in response to Cheryl Gillan MP on 27 October (HC Deb, col 36), when they will inform Parliament of the share of the European Commission’s new €300 billion investment package which will be borne by the United Kingdom, whether through the European Investment Bank or otherwise; and when the United Kingdom will have to pay it.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Exact details of the package, including financing, are yet to be determined but the European Commission’s Task Force will report to the European Council in December about the next steps. The UK has a great deal of experience to share in this area by virtue of our National Infrastructure Plan and Guarantee Scheme. The Government will inform Parliament about the details at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why paragraphs 7 and 8 of the European Council’s Conclusions of its meeting of 23 and 24 October were excluded from their Statements about that meeting to both Houses of Parliament on 27 October.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Paragraph 7 of the October European Council Conclusions refers to the first of five priority areas (stronger economies with more jobs) of the Strategic Agenda for the Union in Times of Change, the EU’s priorities for the next five years, as agreed by EU Leaders in the June 2014 European Council.
Paragraph 8 focuses on European Council support for concrete policy actions to boost investment, especially the Commission’s proposed €300 billion investment initiative, encouraging full use of all existing and allocated EU resources. The UK successfully pushed for private investment to be a key part of this language. The investment package is currently a policy initiative to be discussed by EU Heads of State at the December European Council. The economic growth and jobs that the package aims to stimulate in the economies of EU Member States is of significant importance to the UK economy.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 21 July (WA 156), how many times since 2008 the Council of the European Union has disagreed with items on its agenda previously agreed within Coreper and to be decided without discussion as A-items.
Answered by Lord Popat
The Government does not record information on how many times the Council has chosen not to adopt an item as an “A” point following a preparatory meeting of The Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER). Where an item is on the agenda for a meeting of the Council of the European Union, COREPER will prepare that item but will not itself take any decision: the decision is for the Council to take. If a matter is planned for agreement as an A point at a Council meeting and it appears that agreement is not possible, it would be either withdrawn from the agenda or made the subject of discussion at that meeting.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the duties and powers of the European Union's Committee of Permanent Representatives.
Answered by Baroness Warsi
The European Union’s Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Governments of the Member States (also known as Coreper) is responsible for preparing the work of the Council and for carrying out the tasks assigned to it by the Council. The Committee may adopt procedural decisions in cases provided for in the Council’s Rules of Procedure. It does not take decisions.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the duties and powers of (1) the European Commission, and (2) the President of the European Commission.
Answered by Baroness Warsi
The European Commission has a number of functions. It has the right of initiative in making proposals for legislation. As guardian of the EU treaties, it ensures that EU legislation is applied by all Member States under the control of the Court of Justice. As an executive body for the EU, it exercises coordinating, executive and management functions, as laid down in the Treaties, and manages the annual budget.
The President of the European Commission lays down guidelines within which the Commission is to work. The President also decides on the internal organisation of the Commission, ensuring that it acts consistently, efficiently and as a collegiate body. The President appoints the Vice-Presidents from among the members of the Commission, with the exception of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.