91996E2768

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2768/96 by Georges Berthu (I-EDN) to the Council (17 October 1996)

Subject: IGC: reform of the third pillar

During the statement which he made to the European Parliament's Committee on Institutional Affairs on 25 September 1996 Mr Gay Mitchell, Irish Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the Council, said that the Council Secretariat had submitted to the IGC a proposal setting out the specific areas which it felt should be transferred from the third to the first pillar of the Treaty.

Does the Presidency believe it realistic to expect that decisions on vitally important matters directly affecting national sovereignty, such as immigration rules, can be taken by a qualified majority under the first pillar? If it does not, is it prepared to put forward new procedures which will preserve unanimity?

Joint answer to Written Questions 2765/96, 2766/96, 2767/96, 2769/96, 2770/96, 2771/96, 2772/96, 2773/96, 2774/96, 2775/96 and 2776/96 (30 January 1997)

The Council cannot comment on the various proposals under discussion in the Intergovernmental Conference.