§ 2.42 p.m.
§ Baroness LLEWELYN-DAVIES of HASTOEMy Lords, a Statement is being made today in another place about Business to be taken during May in the EEC Council of Ministers. With the leave of the House, I will, as usual, arrange for the Statement to be made available in the Official Report.
Following is the Statement referred to:
With your permission, Mr. Speaker, I will make a Statement about business to be taken by Ministers of the European Community during May. The monthly written forecast was deposited on Thursday, 20th April.1435At present six meetings of the Council of Ministers are proposed for May. Foreign Ministers will meet on the 2nd, Finance Ministers on the 22nd, Agriculture Ministers on the 22nd and 23rd, Research Ministers on the 29th, Environment Ministers on the 30th, and Energy Ministers on the 30th.Foreign Ministers are expected to discuss the Commission's general survey of the implications of enlargement, regional policy, problems in the steel sector, footwear imports, GATT multilateral trade negotiations, relations with Australia and the form of company accounts.Finance Ministers are expected to resume their discussion on the economic situation and to discuss the co-ordination of national economic policies, Community lending facilities, the life insurance directive and the sixth directive on value added tax.Agriculture Ministers are expected to discuss support for Mediterranean agriculture, rules governing producer groups and the market organisation for mutton and lamb. In addition it may be necessary to continue discussion of the future of the milk marketing boards, and also CAP prices and other related issues to the extent that these are not resolved in the Council this week. An additional Council Meeting may be arranged in early May for this purpose.Research Ministers are expected to review the guidelines for Community Research and Development projects and to discuss the establishment of the Joint European Torus project.Environment Ministers are expected to discuss the measures against sea pollution following the 'Amoco Cadiz' disaster, disposal of waste at sea, lead content of petrol, atmospheric pollution by sulphur compounds and chlorofluorocarbons (which are, of course, gases commonly used in aerosol sprays), the implications for the Community of the United States Toxic Substances Act, water quality for freshwater fish and bird conservation.Energy Ministers are expected to resume their discussion of Energy Policy objectives for 1985, refining problems, assistance to the coal industry and projects demonstrating energy saving. They are also expected to discuss joint hydrocarbon exploration projects, demonstration projects of alternative energy sources, policy for fast breeder reactors, and the reprocessing and the disposal of radioactive wastes".