Meeting summary: Wednesday 9 July

The Committee considered the following documents:

Detention and Supervision of EU citizens

For debate in European Committe B

In April, the Committee recommended this Commission Report for debate in European Committee B.  In it, the Commission reports on how completely, if at all, Member States have implemented three justice and home affairs Framework Decisions on Prisoner Transfer, the European Supervision Order (ESO) and Probation. The Commission says that these measures form an interdependent package so, in our previous report, we questioned the Government on its stated intention to opt back into only the first two measures, following its exercise of the JHA block opt-out, especially as it had not yet implemented the ESO.  We asked the Minister to respond before the requested debate took place. The Minister has now written to indicate that the Government might reconsider its decision on the Probation measure in the future. From the press release following the recent General Affairs Council, it would appear that a "solution concerning the Prüm Decision and the Probation Framework Decision" has been reached between the Commission and the UK. The Government has not informed Parliament of this "solution" nor does it mention it in the recent Command Paper 8897 which sets out the outcome of technical level negotiations on the JHA measures it intends to opt back into. We ask to hear from the Government on this matter and remind the Minister of the need to hold this debate imminently given its relevance to the negotiations currently underway.

Gender balance on corporate boards

This Draft Directive, intended to improve the gender balance on the corporate boards of publicly listed companies, has been under scrutiny by the Committee since December 2012.  The House, on the Committee’s recommendation, issued a Reasoned Opinion in January 2013 questioning the necessity for action at EU level.  Since then, negotiations have proceeded at a slow pace and the UK has formed part of a stable blocking minority opposing the adoption of the draft Directive.  The incoming Italian Presidency is keen to make headway and is expected to propose changes with a view to securing a compromise agreement on the proposal.  We thank the Minister for her latest update but express considerable frustration that she has not yet responded to a number of specific questions raised in our earlier Reports which concern the expected impact of the draft Directive (if adopted) on UK companies. We ask her to do so, and to provide further progress reports on negotiations. 

Other documents reported

We are also reporting on documents relating to:

• Business, Innovation and Skills: Innovation in the Blue Economy; Regulatory fitness;
• International Development: Financial information on the European Development Fund;
• Foreign and Commonwealth Office: EU strategy on public security in Central America and the Caribbean; Common Foreign and Security Policy, including Common Security and Defence Policy; EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa; Citizens’ dialogues; The EU and the Sahel: EUCAP Sahel Niger; The EU and Guinea-Bissau;
•  HM Treasury: Eurozone: Commission Report; European Central Bank: sanctions; Financial services: occupations funds;
• Home Office: The development of the second generation Schengen Information System—SIS II; European Investigation Order;
• Justice: Taking previous convictions into account in new criminal proceedings;
• Transport: Civil aviation.

The Committee’s Fifth Report has now been published covering: The UK’s block opt-out decision; Ports; EU General Budget 2015: Draft Budget; European energy security; European Citizens’ Initiative: ‘One of Us’; Safety of nuclear installations; The EU and the post-2015 development agenda; Cultivation of genetically modified crops; Diplomatic and consular protection of Union citizens in third countries; CFSP: EU support for security sector reform in the Democratic Republic of Congo; CSDP: the EU’s comprehensive approach to external conflict and crises; a European maritime security strategy; EU return policy; Reforming Europol; Single European Sky.

Further information

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