§ Mr. Hawkinsasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will report the outcome of the meeting of the EEC Council of Transport Ministers which he chaired on 15 December.
§ Mr. David HowellOn inland transport matters the Council agreed a number of measures including a directive making permanent liberalisation of road feeder journeys for international rail container transport; a directive further relaxing constraints on the international movement of certain minor categories of goods; a decision on the opening of negotiations with Austria on a wide range of transport matters; the Council also adopted resolutions on railways policy; and on future work on transport infrastructure. Agreement in principle was reached on a modest increase in the Community multilateral quota for road haulage, although this still has to be confirmed.
Agreement was not possible, at this Council, on proposals for harmonising technical requirements for inland waterways vessels, or for allowing State aids to certain combined transport facilities.