ENERGY CHARTER TREATY (Hansard, 15 December 1994)

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

The United Kingdom will sign the Energy Charter Treaty when it is opened for signature in Lisbon on 17 December. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Industry and Energy will sign on behalf of the government. We welcome this very important agreement, which represents the result of lengthy and complex negotiations between 50 countries, including the European Union, the G7, all the states of the former Soviet Union, western, eastern and central Europe, and Australia. We believe that the treaty will make a valuable contribution to the economic reform processes in the economies in transition, as well as improve the conditions for foreign investors in those countries. Details of the treaty were communicated to both Houses in explanatory memoranda on 20 December 1993 and 6 October 1994.

The text of the treaty will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses 21 sitting days before the UK deposits an instrument of ratification with the Depositary of the Energy Charter Treaty, the Government of the Portuguese Republic.