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Plenary, 15 Jan 2004

15 Jan 2004 · S2 · Plenary

Item of business

European Commission<br />(Work Programme)

Ewing, Mrs Margaret SNP Moray Watch on SPTV

Like others who have spoken in the debate, I welcome the opportunity to discuss the European Commission's work programme for 2004. I hope that we can do this every year because, as has already been said, there might be changes later this year to the 2005 programme because of changes in the Commission.

I congratulate my colleague Richard Lochhead on his excellent opening speech on behalf of the European and External Relations Committee. He highlighted the principle of subsidiarity, which is not a code word for independence, much as all of us in the SNP want to achieve independence. Rather, it is a recognition of the importance of the Scottish Parliament in the European dimension.

Everyone in the chamber should consider carefully how the Parliament interacts with the European dimension. We are charged with the responsibility of implementing 80 per cent of the directives that come from Europe. That is substantial. I wonder whether we have the time in Parliament, outwith the committee where we have the most wonderful and extremely helpful staff, to discuss as many of the issues as will impact on the daily lives of our people. As Nicola Sturgeon and others pointed out, we need an early-warning system of the importance of those directives. We must discuss them in detail, whether they concern toxins, fisheries, agriculture or whatever. We need the time to ensure that the Parliament can return a considered view to the Commission.

Phil Gallie talked a wee bit about the draft constitution. I know that it is coming up to the Burns season and that he is a good Ayr man, but instead of reciting "Tam O' Shanter", I am sure that he could probably recite by heart the draft constitution. That would certainly make a change at some of the Burns suppers.

I wish the Irish well in their presidency as they take over the task of trying to resolve some of the issues that surround the draft constitution. Colleagues such as Helen Eadie and others who served with me on the British-Irish Interparliamentary Body on behalf of the Parliament will know that I put on record the fact that I did not foresee a solution before Christmas under the Italian presidency.

The minister emphasised the importance to Scotland of many of the directives and proposals. John Home Robertson spoke a load of nonsense, but that did not surprise me because he has been stuck in that groove for years. I sometimes wonder what he would do with his spare time if he could not find ways to attack the Scottish National Party—he would need to take up another hobby.

I welcome back Keith Raffan, whom we have missed. I do not always agree with him in committee or in the chamber—or anywhere else—but it is good to have him back. Nora Radcliffe was his substitute on the committee and she did an excellent job in his absence. I thank her for her work.

The Scottish Parliament has a major role to play in the European dimension. We could underestimate ourselves and pretend that we are a wee bit like a local council that goes over to talk about this or a lobbying group that goes over and talks about that. We are an elected, legislative Parliament.

We talk about Regleg and EMILE and—here I agree with Helen Eadie—if we were to go down the High Street in Edinburgh just now and ask people what those words mean, I think that we would get blank looks. We know what the words mean, but we have to overcome the jargon of Europe. Part of the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament is to explain more fully the implications of European legislation, not only when we have the particular difficulties of the fishing and agricultural industries, but more generally.

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Plenary, 15 Jan 2004

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