Number 21 of 2012

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (AMENDMENT) ACT 2012

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Section

1. Amendment of section 1 of European Communities Act 1972.

2. Short title, collective citation and commencement.

Acts Referred to

Number 21 of 2012

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (AMENDMENT) ACT 2012

AN ACT TO AMEND THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ACT 1972, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT—

(A)THE PROTOCOL AMENDING THE PROTOCOL ON TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS ANNEXED TO THE TREATY ON EUROPEAN UNION, TO THE TREATY ON THE FUNCTIONING OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND TO THE TREATY ESTABLISHING THE EUROPEAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMUNITY, DONE AT BRUSSELS ON THE 23RD DAY OF JUNE 2010,

(B)THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL DECISION OF 25 MARCH 2011 ¹ AMENDING ARTICLE 136 OF THE TREATY ON THE FUNCTIONING OF THE EUROPEAN UNION WITH REGARD TO A STABILITY MECHANISM FOR MEMBER STATES WHOSE CURRENCY IS THE EURO,

(C)THE TREATY CONCERNING THE ACCESSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA TO THE EUROPEAN UNION, DONE AT BRUSSELS ON THE 9TH DAY OF DECEMBER 2011 ² , AND

(D)THE PROTOCOL ON THE CONCERNS OF THE IRISH PEOPLE ON THE TREATY OF LISBON, ANNEXED TO THE TREATY ON EUROPEAN UNION AND TO THE TREATY ON THE FUNCTIONING OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, DONE AT BRUSSELS ON THE 16TH DAY OF MAY 2012,

SHALL BE PART OF THE DOMESTIC LAW OF THE STATE; AND TO PROVIDE FOR MATTERS CONN-ECTED THEREWITH.

[3rd July, 2012]

BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:

Amendment of section 1 of European Communities Act 1972.

1.— Section 1 of the European Communities Act 1972 is amended, in subsection (1), by the substitution of the following definition for the definition of “treaties governing the European Union” (inserted by section 2 of the European Union Act 2009 ):

“ ‘treaties governing the European Union’ means—

(a) the Treaty on European Union,

(b) the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

(c) the Lisbon Treaty, and

(d) the treaties governing the European Communities,

(other than the provisions to which the first paragraph of Article 275 of the treaty referred to in paragraph (b) applies), as amended by—

(i) the Protocol amending the Protocol on transitional provisions annexed to the Treaty on European Union, to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, done at Brussels on the 23rd day of June 2010,

(ii) the European Council Decision of 25 March 2011 amending Article 136 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union with regard to a stability mechanism for Member States whose currency is the euro,

(iii) the Treaty concerning the accession of the Republic of Croatia to the European Union, done at Brussels on the 9th day of December 2011, and

(iv) the Protocol on the concerns of the Irish people on the Treaty of Lisbon, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, done at Brussels on the 16th day of May 2012.”.

Short title, collective citation and commencement.

2.— (1) This Act may be cited as the European Communities (Amendment) Act 2012.

(2) The European Communities Acts 1972 to 2009 and this Act may be cited together as the European Communities Acts 1972 to 2012.

(3) This Act shall come into operation on such day or days as the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade may appoint by order or orders either generally or with reference to any particular purpose or provision and different days may be so appointed for different purposes or different provisions.

¹ OJ No. L91 of 06.04.2011, p.1

² OJ No. L112 of 24.04.2012, p.6