Decision Time

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at 5:00 pm on 5 December 2002.

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Photo of Lord David Steel Lord David Steel Presiding Officer, Scottish Parliament 5:00, 5 December 2002

The result of the division is: For 64, Against 19, Abstentions 26.

Motion agreed to.

That the Parliament acknowledges the many benefits that the European Union has delivered for Europe and for Scotland, welcomes the establishment of the Convention on the Future of Europe as an open and innovative means of addressing the issues now facing the European Union; believes that, in light of experience, the European Union needs to become more effective, efficient, easier to understand, democratic, transparent and accountable; recognises the role that Sub-Member State Administrations can play in realising these objectives; welcomes the Scottish Executive's engagement with Scottish civil society to stimulate discussion and to seek views on the Future of Europe; welcomes the contribution that the Executive has made to the debate so far, and calls on the Executive to press the Convention to bring forward proposals for strengthening the profile of the Subsidiarity Principle in the EU treaties, adopting a new mechanism for enforcing it which allows for full Sub-Member State Administration involvement, making greater use of framework legislation, consulting Sub-Member State Administrations at an early stage of policy development, generating greater transparency in European decision-making and introducing financial impact assessments for legislative proposals.