15 JANUARY 2008Mr Jim Murphy, Ms Shan Morgan and Mr Adam Bye

  Q60  Lord Kerr of Kinlochard: The question I would like to ask you, Minister, is what this European Council was about, what was good in it and what was bad in it? You have answered our questions extremely well but our questions are all based on the Presidency Conclusions text, which of course was prepared in advance by the Committee of Permanent Representatives and not discussed in the Council. So we do not really know what the European Council was about. We know that the March one was about global warming and emissions control; we know that the June one and the October one were about Institutions; we know that this one definitely was not about Institutions and definitely was not about global warming—but we do not know what it was about. What was it about, what was good from the UK point of view, and what was bad from the UK point of view?

  Mr Murphy: On what was it about, it was a globalisation statement; it was a specific stated public intention that Europe should prepare in the way that it has not done effectively enough in the past for where will the global economy be in 15, 20 years' time, and what should we be doing now to prepare for that? We published a Global Europe pamphlet, which I think we shared with your Lordships, and we worked very, very hard—very hard—with other governments on that Globalisation Statement. It was said it would not happen, it was said that we would meet intransigence from some specific other European capitals, and we were delighted with the outcome of the Globalisation Statement. So there is what it would be about. Also, a peculiar part of the answer is that part of what it was about was what it was not about because it was not about structures and Treaties. That is a reflection of how tired the 27 governments are with this seven-year long process; but also a statement that we have finished with the structural debate and that it has to go on to delivery. In terms of delivery, what is the mandate for delivery? The Globalisation Statement, which the UK proposed, the UK tabled and on which we got unanimous agreement. What were we less happy with? That is always more difficult. Notwithstanding climate change has been debated in previous Councils it is the pace of progress in climate change and domestic delivery on climate change. That is a personal reflection as to domestic plans for delivery of European targets, which I do not think are yet in proper shape. But they can be; the Commission is about to table its proposals on emissions and I think that may put us in a much stronger position. That would be my personal reflection on where I think the weakness at the moment would be.

Chairman: Thank you very much indeed, Minister. We noted the EU Declaration on Globalisation and the fact that it appears as an annex rather than right upfront as being, as it were, the agenda for the Council meetings strikes us as a little odd. Anyway, it is an interesting statement. We thank you very warmly, you, Shan Morgan and Adam Bye, for coming along again. We will send you the transcript and we look forward to seeing you after the next Council meeting. Thank you very much indeed.