91999E0602

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0602/99

by Patricia McKenna (V) to the Commission

(4 March 1999)

Subject: Signing of agreements under Article 101 of the Euratom Treaty

Will the Commission explain why it signed in December an agreement with Canada on nuclear cooperation under Article 101 of the Euratom Treaty, without either informing or consulting the European Parliament, contrary to the Institutional Agreement made in an exchange of letters between Parliament and Commission on such significant Euratom agreements?

Will the Commission now apprise Parliament of all nuclear negotiations in hand or foreseen, including those with the IAEA and other such bodies? Will the Commission in future consult Parliament in advance on all of these and other such agreements, and if not would it now justify any exceptions?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan on behalf of the Commission

(24 March 1999)

The Commission gave an initial reaction to the matters raised by the Honourable Member at the meeting of the Parliament's Foreign affairs security and defence policy committee on 23 February 1999.

The Commission is currently in contact with the Parliament to respond to and resolve the various matters recently raised concerning the implementation of the exchange of letters between the Presidents of the Commission and the Parliament of July 1998 relating to the conclusion of Euratom Agreements (based on Article 101.2).