§ Mrs. Margaret EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress is being made on discussions about the EEC habitats directive; and when he expects an agreement to be reached.
§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley[holding answer 6 June 1989]: Discussions on the proposal for an EC directive on habitat protection have continued at three working group meetings called by the Spanish Presidency. A technical and scientific working group has been set up to prepare four of the annexes omitted from the Commission's draft. Many of the points which led member states unanimously to reject the Commission's proposals at the Environment Council on 24 November 1988 remain to be resolved.