Debate: Association agreements for the participation of third countries in Union programmes
Date: THURSDAY, 8 FEBRUARY 2024
Speaker: Christian Ehler
Country: Spain
Language: EN

First, Parliament is a strong supporter of the participation of New Zealand in the Union’s programmes. We are strong supporters of other countries like the Faroe Islands, Canada and South Korea participating in our programmes. The resolution we will adopt today makes it very clear we have no problem with those countries and their participation in the Union’s programmes. However, and this is the second point, Parliament will not accept that its democratic prerogatives are disregarded. The Treaties are clear: only Parliament’s consent can make the Union plausibly accept to set up a committee under the international agreement with the power to amend certain parts of the international agreement. I repeat: only if Parliament gives consent. The Court of Justice also made clear that Parliament’s consent must be meaningful. The Council and the Commission have chosen to ignore this constitutional reality. They have insisted on setting up association agreements for the Union programmes with a completely new category of third countries, which cut the parliaments out completely. They have asked the Parliament to sign a  So this resolution is our last attempt to change the course of the Council and the Commission. The only step left us after this is to start denying consent, which will kill these agreements. We do not want to do this: researchers involved in Horizon should not become the victim of this interinstitutional fight, but we protect our democratic prerogatives. We will do that, whatever it takes.  So I would have to read you the following question, also in the name of my co-rapporteur, Mr Lacapelle. As regards international agreements dedicated to the participation of third countries in the Union programmes, the Commission is asked the following: given the broad powers allocated to the Joint Committee established under the draft agreement between the EU and New Zealand – including its ability to adopt and amend the protocols on associations to Union programmes without further parliamentary involvement – how does the Commission intend to ensure that Parliament retains oversight and power of consent as regards future associations to the Union programmes? Secondly, can the Commission commit to increase transparency of the implementation of the agreements via regular and detailed reporting in order to enable Parliament to exercise its oversight rights? Will the Commission structure future agreements in a way that guarantees the respect of Parliament’s prerogatives concerning agreements on any association to a Union programme? Will the Commission launch negotiations on an interinstitutional agreement that completely abides by both the letter and the spirit of the Treaties in full respect of the principles of parliamentary scrutiny in the implementation of the association agreements, including as regards the adoption and amendment of protocols? And, I may add, this might be today a conversation of connoisseurs, and we might not have a lot of participation because it’s very specific. Believe me, there will be a lot of presence if Parliament is going to deny consent to these agreements.