To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

(1) how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch Presidency of the EU the Association Committees with the countries of central and eastern Europe met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement;

(2) how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch Presidency of the EU the Joint Committee (EC-Romania) met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement;

(3) how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch Presidency of the EU the Joint Committee (EEC-Bulgaria) met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement.

EU Association Committee meetings take place once a year for each candidate country until it joins the EU. Representatives from member states are invited to attend as observers.

The following EU Association Committee meetings took place under the Italian, Irish and Dutch Presidencies:

Italian Presidency:

July 2003—Slovenia (in Llubljana), attended by a representative from United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the EU (UKRep).

July 2003—Slovakia (in Bratislava), attended by a representative from the British Embassy, Bratislava.

September 2003—Poland (in Warsaw), attended by a representative from UKRep.

November 2003—Romania (in Bucharest), attended by representatives from UKRep and the British Embassy, Bucharest.

Irish Presidency:

June 2004—Bulgaria (in Sofia), attended by representatives from UKRep and the British Embassy, Sofia.

Dutch Presidency:

November 2004—Romania (in Brussels), attended by representatives from DEFRA and DTI.

The Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) for Bulgaria met in October 2004 in Russe (Bulgaria). The JCC for Romania met in November 2004 in Brussels. Individual member states were not formally represented.