S.I. No. 30/2003 - European Communities (Amendment) Act, 2002 (Commencement) Order, 2003

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.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

This 29

th

day of January, 2003

__________________

Brian Cowen, T.D.

Minister for Foreign Affairs

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.

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