Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee
Minutes of proceedings 01 May 2025
Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee minutes of proceedings 1 May 2025.pdf (124.35 kb)
Meeting Location: Room 30
Present:
Ciara Ferguson MLA (Chairperson)
David Brooks MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Jonathan Buckley MLA
Declan Kearney MLA
Peter Martin MLA
Emma Sheerin MLA
Present by Video:
Steve Aiken MLA
Apologies:
Eóin Tennyson MLA
In Attendance:
Jessica Jacques (Senior Assistant Clerk)
Christopher Dickison (Senior Assistant Clerk)
Sinead Kelly (Assistant Clerk)
Kevin Marks (Clerical Supervisor)
Suzanne Walsh (Clerical Supervisor)
Damien Brown (Clerical Officer)
In Attendance by Video: None.
The meeting commenced at 10.01am in closed session.
1. Apologies
As above.
2. Declaration of Members’ Interest
None.
3. COM/2023/462 Proposal for a Regulation on the safety of toys and repealing Directive 2009/48/EC - Legal Advice
Julie Byers, Legal Adviser, Assembly Legal Services, joined the meeting at 10.03am.
Members considered the following proposed EU act:
COM/2023/462 Proposal for a Regulation on the safety of toys and repealing Directive 2009/48/EC.
Members noted that the proposed EU act has not been notified to the Committee, but following a work planning exercise on 20 February 2025, the Committee agreed to gather evidence on the proposed EU act.
The Legal Adviser provided advice on whether it appears likely that the proposed EU act differs significantly (in whole or in part) from the content or scope of the EU act it is amending/replacing.
A question and answer session followed.
Declan Kearney joined the meeting at 10.10am.
David Brooks joined the meeting at 10.16am.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to continue its consideration of the proposed EU act in public session.
The Legal Adviser remained in the meeting for agenda item 4.
4. COM/2023/217 Proposal for a Regulation on detergents and surfactants, amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 - Legal Advice
Members considered the following proposed EU act:
COM/2023/217 Proposal for a Regulation on detergents and surfactants, amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 648/2004.
Members noted that the proposed EU act has not been notified to the Committee, but following a work planning exercise on 20 February 2025, the Committee agreed to gather evidence on the proposed EU act.
The Legal Adviser provided advice on whether it appears likely that the proposed EU act differs significantly (in whole or in part) from the content or scope of the EU act it is amending/replacing.
Peter Martin left the meeting at 10.25am.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to continue its consideration of the proposed EU act in public session.
The Legal Adviser left the meeting at 10.26am.
Agreed: Members agreed to move to public session at 10.26am.
The meeting commenced at 10.26am in public session.
5. Draft Minutes
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 10 April 2025.
6. Matters Arising
None.
7. COM/2023/462 Proposal for a Regulation on the safety of toys and repealing Directive 2009/48/EC - Written Evidence
The Committee considered the following proposed EU act:
COM/2023/462 Proposal for a Regulation on the safety of toys and repealing Directive 2009/48/EC.
Peter Martin joined the meeting at 10.28am.
The Committee considered a response from SOLACE NI to its request for officials to attend to give oral evidence, and further written information regarding its assessment of the proposed EU act.
The Committee considered a response from the UK Government.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to take the following actions once the draft final text of the proposed EU act, provisionally agreed by the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament, is available:
- Ask SOLACE and Legal Services whether any changes have been made to the text that would alter their original assessments of the proposed act;
- Ask the UK Government to provide an updated assessment of the draft final text;
- Seek the views of the stakeholders identified by RaISe via Citizen Space with a four-week deadline for response.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to Lord Murphy, Chair of the Independent Review of the Windsor Framework, to highlight the issues it is experiencing when seeking to scrutinise EU acts and proposed EU acts which cover matters reserved to the UK Government.
8. COM/2023/217 Proposal for a Regulation on detergents and surfactants, amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 - Departmental oral evidence
The Committee considered the following proposed EU act:
COM/2023/217 Proposal for a Regulation on detergents and surfactants, amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 648/2004.
The following official joined the meeting at 10.40am:
Caroline Barry Chemicals and Industrial Pollution Policy, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
The official gave oral evidence on the proposed EU act.
A question and answer session followed.
The evidence session was reported by Hansard.
The official left the meeting at 11.11am.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to seek the views of stakeholders identified by RaISe via Citizen Space with a four-week deadline for response.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to include the Health and Safety Executive in its request for views.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to request that RaISe monitor the progress of the proposed EU act.
9. Correspondence
9.1 The Committee considered a UK Government Explanatory Memorandum on COM 2024/561: Proposal for a Directive amending Directive 2014/32/EU as regards electric vehicle supply equipment, compressed gas dispensers, and electricity, gas and thermal energy meters.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to publish the Explanatory Memorandum on its webpage.
9.2 The Committee noted a copy of correspondence from the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly regarding a meeting of the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee.
9.3 The Committee considered a UK Government Explanatory Memorandum on the following EU acts:
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1392 on temporary trade-liberalisation measures supplementing trade concessions applicable to Ukrainian products under the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Ukraine, of the other part;
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1501 on temporary trade-liberalisation measures supplementing trade concessions applicable to products from the Republic of Moldova under the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to publish the Explanatory Memorandum on its webpage.
9.4 The Committee considered a UK Government Explanatory Memorandum on Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and amending Regulations (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1724 and (EU) 2019/1020.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to publish the Explanatory Memorandum on its webpage.
9.5 The Committee noted a UK Government Explanatory Memorandum on Regulation (EU) 2023/2411 on the protection of geographical indications for craft and industrial products and amending Regulations (EU) 2017/1001 and (EU) 2019/1753.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to publish the Explanatory Memorandum on its webpage.
9.6 The Committee noted the January to March 2025 report from the Office of the Northern Ireland Executive in Brussels.
9.7 The Committee noted correspondence from the Clerk to the Public Accounts Committee regarding primacy of Northern Ireland Audit Office reports.
9.8 The Committee considered correspondence from the Clerk to the Committee for the Economy regarding Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/443 amending Regulation (EU) 2017/1151 as regards the emission type approval procedures for light passenger and commercial vehicles.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to inform the Committee for the Economy that, as this concerns the implementation of a published EU act, the scrutiny capacity sits with the statutory committee.
9.9 The Committee noted correspondence from Cancer Research UK on enhancing the UK-EU relationship to support global collaboration in cancer research.
9.10 The Committee noted a quarterly update from RaISe on COM/2024/52: Proposal for a Decision on field inspections and seed production in Moldova and Ukraine.
9.11 The Committee noted a quarterly update from RaISe on COM/2023/769: Proposal for Regulation on the welfare of dogs and cats and their traceability.
10. Chairperson's Business
None.
11. Any other business
None.
12. Date, time, and place of next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Thursday 8 May 2025 at 10:00am in Room 30.
The meeting was adjourned at 11.21am.
Ciara Ferguson, MLA
Chairperson, Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee
