Assembly/AU/8 (X) Page 4 23. However, issues relating to the institutions and structures of the Union Government, the domains of competence, the role of the RECs and the impact of the Union Government on the sovereignty of Member States, as well as the Roadmap and Timeframes for achieving the Union Government, appeared to be issues that Member States wanted a deeper reflection on. 24. The Council was urged not to reopen the debate on the merits and demerits of the Union Government because this was the essence of the Grand Debate in Accra, leading to the establishment of the Panel and the Ministerial Committee on the Union Government. 25. During the debate on this Report, some delegations also suggested the setting-up of mechanism, either in the form of Ministerial Committee or a group of technical experts to consider all the technical, legal and related issues, and submit specific recommendations that would facilitate the taking of a decision at a later date on the way forward to achieving the Union Government of Africa. 26. On the whole, the intensive and exhaustive discussions on the Reports of the Panel and the Ministerial Committee were held in an atmosphere of frankness and purposefulness, and addressed all aspects of the Terms of Reference given by the Assembly in Accra. 27. Since members of the Council presented different perspectives and approaches on the way forward, the overwhelming feeling was that further reflection on the issue would be necessary. 28. In as much as the Council would have preferred to submit specific recommendations to the Assembly, it could not reach consensus on the approach and on a number of key issues. 29. It is the hope of the Council that this Assembly, in considering the two Reports, would give further directives and guidance which would inform Council’s deliberations when the Extraordinary Session, if approved, takes place.