§ The Earl of Kimberleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will make a Statement on the outcome of the Environment Council held on 28th June.
The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (The Earl of Caithness)My honourable friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and member for Lewisham East, represented the United Kingdom at this meeting, which resumed on 28th June. I am pleased to report that in a brief discussion on large combustion plants, Denmark, France and Italy withdrew their reserves on the agreement in principle which was reached at the last council of 16th June, and on which I reported in answer to my noble friend Lord Marshall of Leeds. In the light of a minor change to the text, Portugal also withdrew its reserve. The UK maintained a parliamentary scrutiny reserve on the directive.
After further lengthy discussion, a political agreement was reached by qualified majority, and subject to a UK parliamentary scrutiny reserve, on 1823WA the Commission's proposals for the second stage limit values for gaseous emissions from small cars. I am pleased to say that Ministers also reached agreement on draft guidelines for a future council directive to harmonise programmes for the reduction and eventual elimination of pollution caused by waste from the titanium dioxide industry.
Further consideration was given to a proposal for a Community-wide programme of projects demonstrating how actions taken in the environmental field might contribute to employment creation. The proposal is to be discussed again at the next Council.
The Council agreed a resolution on the protection of the North Sea and other Community waters, put forward by the German delegation following the recent problems associated with algae growth in the Skagerrak and Kattegat.
A discussion on the dispatch of toxic waste to developing countries ended with a statement of Presidency conclusions.
The Council also heard statements from Denmark and the Commission on proposals in the field of Biotechnology and from the Commission on Nuclear safety.