Statutory Instrument

S.I. No. 30 of 2003

European Communities (Amendment) Act, 2002 (Commencement) Order, 2003

I, Brian Cowen, Minister for Foreign Affairs, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 3(3) of the European Communities (Amendment) Act, 2002 (No. 27 of 2002) , hereby order as follows:

1.       This Order may be cited as the European Communities (Amendment) Act, 2002 (Commencement) Order, 2003.

2.       The 1^st day of February, 2003, is hereby appointed as the day on which the European Communities (Amendment) Act, 2002 (No. 27 of 2002) , shall come into operation.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation)

The European Communities (Amendment) Bill, 2002, amends the European Communities Act, 1972 , in order to provide that certain parts of the Treaty of Nice amending the Treaty on European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related Acts shall form part of the domestic law of the State. Section 3(3) of the Act provides that it shall come into operation on a day to be appointed by order made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

As the Treaty of Nice will enter into force on 1 February, 2003, the Order provides that the European Communities (Amendment) Act, 2002 shall come into operation on the same date.