The Gazette 1975

Communities which is issued ten times a year, and

the other is Information on the Cour; of Justice of the

European Communities which issues at somewhat

irregular intervals. The Bulletin contains a list of all

the items that have been included in the Official Journal

for the previous month so that it forms a sort of In-

dex to the Official Journal, and the Information on the

Court of Justice contains summaries of the Decisions

of the Court of Justice and sometimes of other Courts

in Europe on E.E.C. mat'ers.

Development of the European Communities:

Fourth Report of Oireachtas Committee

The Development of the European Communities

1.1 It is now two years since the enlargement of the

European Community. In that period the Community

has had to face serious internal and external threats to

its functioning arising in particular out of the world

economic, monetary and energy crisis. Problems have

also been posed by the uncertainty about the position

of the U.K. in the Community and by the increased

range of divergent interests which enlargement has

brought. Ireland has pressed for a collective and co-

ordinated response to these problems; unilateral action

could prove detrimental to the weaker member States

and thus to the Community as a whole. Ireland has

therefore sought the adoption and extension of econ-

omic, social and regional policies which will maintain

and improve the level of economic growth and of em-

ployment and contrbute to the distribution of the Com-

munity's wealth to those areas most in need.

1.2 The principal aim of Irish policy is the preser-

vation of the Community and the strengthening of its

unity. In the belief that the Community as a unit can

better respond to the present economic crisis than the

individual member States the Government has advocat-

ed the strengthening and democratisation of the Com-

munity and has supported moves towards a democratic-

ally controlled European Union. The Government is

concerned that policies should operate to the advantage

of all the peoples of the Community irrespective of how

far they are from the developed centres of economic

growth. In particular Ireland has sought to maintain

the basic principles and mechanisms of the Common

Agricultural Policy (CAP), to promote the Community's,

Industrial Policy and the Social Action Programme, to

extend the scope of the European Social Fund and to

reach agreement with the other member States on a

Regional Policy. In some areas, notably Regional Policy,

progress was disappointingly slow and the objectives

set by the Paris and Copenhagen Summits were not all

achieved within the timescales envisaged. However the

outcome of the meeting of Heads of Government of the

member States on 9-10 December 1974 and in partic-

ular the agreement on the establishment of a regional

fund have given a new impetus to progress on Com-

munity policies.

1.3 The Government believes that membership of

the Community has been and is beneficial for Ireland.

It has extended the range of Ireland's participation in

international economic and political affairs; we par-

ticipate on an equal footing with the other member

States in the running and development of the Economic

Community and within the framework of political co-

operation we take part in the co-ordination of the

Nine's foreign policies. Membership has also contributed

to our economic development; besides the transfer of

funds from the Community to Ireland by means of

grants,

subsidies

and

loans

has

encourag-

ed overseas investment in Ireland and has provided new

marketing opportunities for our industrial and agricul-

tural exports.

Meetings of Heads of Government

1.4 At the invitation of the President of France, Mr.

Giscard d'Estaing, the Heads of Government of the

member States of the European Communities met in-

formally in Paris on 14 September 1974 to discuss the

state of European integration and the issues facing the

Community. The Heads of Government agreed that

the Foreign Ministers should meet to consider the de-

sirability of holding a formal meeting of Heads of

Government later in the year. The Taoiseach indicated

that if such a meeting was to be held it would have to

be adequately prepared.

1.6 Ireland indicated that its attitude to the holding

of a formal meeting of Heads of Government would be

governed by whether or not it could be established be-

forehand that there was a basis for firm progress on

questions of substance. Ireland particularly emphasised

the need for progress on regional policy which is an

essential element in any further economic integration

of the Community. After the meeting on 2 December

1974 it was clear that sufficient progress had been made,

especially on the establishment of the regional fund, to

enable the proposed meting to take place; Ireland could

therefore agree to the holding of the meeting.

Court of Justice of the European Communities

2.16 A Conference of representatives of the Govern-

ments of the member States of the Community meet-

ing at Brussels on 10 December 1974 appointed the

Hon. Mr. Justice Aindrias O Caoimh to replace Judge

Cearbhall O Dálaigh as a Judge of the Court of Justice

of the European Communities. Judge O Caoimh was

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