§ 70. Sir David PriceTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made in the Council of Ministers of the European Community in determining and then implementing a common shipping policy.
§ Mr. PortilloIn December 1986, under United Kingdom Presidency, four regulations were adopted which set the foundations for a common European shipping policy. The United Kingdom is continuing to press hard for progress towards liberalising the cabotage trades of six member states. We also await details of the 165W EC Commission's proposals for positive measures to tackle the decline of the European fleets and to improve their competitiveness in world shipping markets.