Hansard

I welcome this committee debate on the Parliament’s engagement with the European Union. Our committees do not often grab the headlines in the Scottish Parliament, but they are where much of the serious work of the Parliament takes place. The European and External Relations Committee has an important role in co-ordinating and scrutinising the European aspects of other committees’ work, and the report that we are considering provides an excellent overview of the areas that those committees are focusing on.

From previous parliamentary work, I know about the importance of Europe to the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee in particular. Decisions that have been made in Europe have a significant impact on our rural economy, our fishing sector and the Scottish Government’s attempts to meet our climate change targets. I note the detailed report from that committee.

The European and External Relations Committee’s report discusses the European Commission’s work programme, the 10 priority areas and the Europe 2020 strategy, as well as outlining the committee’s own work programme for the year ahead.

The Parliament has always been supportive of our engagement with Europe, and in its various forms over the years the committee has always had MSPs who have championed the importance of Europe to Scotland. With our focus on domestic affairs, including our recent focus on our constitution and our referendum, we can often be at risk of losing sight of the bigger picture. In the Parliament, we might focus on the detail of European directives or legislation, but we do not always do a good job of relating that to the public in their everyday lives. Historically, turnout at European elections is low, and the public often struggle to see the relevance of European policy. However, many of our policies that work to improve our air quality and water quality and promote biodiversity originate in Europe, and much of our positive workplace legislation and the regulations around maternity and paternity pay and hours at work start in Europe, although there is still much to do in achieving consistency across member states. Human rights and equalities laws are strengthened and enforced by Europe.

One look at the Commission’s priorities shows how important they can be. Developing a resilient energy union with a forward-looking climate change programme, a connected digital single market, and a new boost for jobs, growth and investment are just three of the Commission’s priorities. Those are high-level objectives, of course, and there will still be a lot of debate about how they can be achieved. The report demonstrates that our committees are engaged with those debates. Those priorities are aimed at collective action and strengthening the European Union in sensible ways that can bring benefits to member states.

I welcome the committee’s questions to the Commission on engagement with European citizens and making its work sufficiently accessible and comprehensive. There is a lot of work to do in that regard, and although measures on, for example, a more accessible website, social media and a transparency register are all welcome, much greater cultural change is needed if the Commission wants, in its own words, to “restore trust”. There needs to be tougher budgetary discipline, especially around potential waste in and inefficiency of EU agencies, and we must be prepared to look at where spending at the EU level can help to save money at a national level. We must also look at continuing to open up the EU decision-making process, implementing institutional reforms to help build levels of trust among European citizens and ensure greater parliamentary scrutiny and accountability.

This is a short debate, although there is much content in the report. I note that the committee observed that the level of European engagement by the Parliament’s committees for 2015-16 has declined compared with that for 2014. I support the committee’s encouragement of the Parliament’s committees and their EU reporters to actively engage. However, I am sure that we will return to many of the subjects in greater detail as the committees progress through their work programmes, which focus on a number of the Commission’s 10 priorities. Indeed, we anticipate the opportunity to discuss next week the committee’s inquiry into TTIP in more detail.

We are living in an increasingly global world with strong, competitive emerging markets and economies. Europe as a trading bloc needs to build new partnerships if it is to be competitive and create opportunities for its citizens. However, Europe has never been just about trade; it is about partnership, solidarity, fairness and peace. The heightening of the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean in recent weeks, to which the minister referred, presents new and complex challenges for Europe, but we must be guided by the principles that created the European Union when we are looking for solutions.

Europe needs to respond to the modern world and address issues of sustainability, economic fairness and stability, human rights and our role in the world. Those are the big challenges and it is important that this Parliament engages with that future.