Foreign Affairs Council (Hansard, 9 March 1994)

§ Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

I attended the Foreign Affairs Council on 21 and 22 February.

The Council discussed preparations for the Marrakesh ministerial meeting in April at which the final act of the Uruguay round will be signed. There was agreement that the final act should be signed by both the Commission and the member states and that member states should participate in the world trade organisation. It was also agreed that the European Parliament should be consulted under the assent procedure on the Community's acceptance of the world trade organisation agreement.

The Commission's proposal for a reciprocal agreement between the United States and the European Community on the mutual recognition of spirit designations was agreed by a qualified majority, with Greece and Italy voting against. The agreement will protect the designation of six EC spirits in the United States, including Scotch whisky, and two United States spirits in the EC.

Ministers discussed the safeguard procedures in the EEA internal regulation. No decision was reached. Ministers also discussed the recent Swiss vote to ban all HGV transit traffic within 10 years. The Commission was asked to prepare a report on how this vote would effect the proposed negotiations on EC-Swiss transport agreements.

The Council agreed an European Union position on structural funds for the accession negotiations with the four applicants. The Council was followed by ministerial negotiating sessions with the applicants. A package of secondary issues was agreed with the Finns. The applicants outlined their concerns on the agriculture and regional policy dossiers. Further discussion of these was left for the 25 to 28 February special ministerial meeting on enlargement.

Ministers discussed arrangements for financing costs arising under the intergovernmental pillars of the treaty on European Union and agreed to return to the issue at a future meeting.