Mr. John Mark Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what initiatives Her Majesty's Government will be taking in the Presidency of the Council of the European Community towards an improved internal market.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkIt will he a major priority of the United Kingdom Presidency to tackle barriers to trade within the 189W Community. In particular we will be seeking to make maximum progress in implementing the new Presidency acion programme, 1 July 1986 to 1 July 1987. The programme includes some 149 individual proposals for consideration by the Council during this period, details of which I gave in my reply to the hon. Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing) on 25 June, at columns 174–78. Priority areas for action include the creation of a free market in financial services and the transport sector; the liberalisation of capital movements; freedom of establishment for the professions; the removal of technical barriers to trade, for example, in the field of product standards; and the removal of physical barriers to the free movement of goods through simplification of frontier formalities.