HC Deb 08 December 1995 vol 268 cc418-21W
Mr. Patrick Thompson

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union. [5294]

Mr. David Davis

The following Councils are scheduled:

  • December 4: Foreign Affairs Council
  • December 5: Foreign Affairs Council
  • December 5: Labour and Social Affairs Council
  • December 7: Transport Council
  • December 11: Agriculture Council, ECOFIN Council
  • December 12: Agriculture Council, Foreign Affairs Council
  • December 14: Energy
  • December 18: ECOFIN Council, Environment Council
  • December 19: Environment Council
  • December 20: Development Council
  • December 21: Fisheries Council
  • December 22: Fisheries Council

Following are the subjects for discussion:

December 4–5: Foreign Affairs Council

Provisional agenda as follows:

  • Preparation for Madrid European Council
  • Mediterranean policy
  • Relations with Latin America
  • Relations with Asia
  • Relations with Switzerland
  • Relations with Former Soviet Union
  • Relations with Central and Eastern Europeans
  • Former Yugoslavia
  • Preventative diplomacy and peace-keeping in Africa (poss.)
  • Lome IV: internal financing agreement
  • Draft mandate with South Africa
  • Mandate for EURATOM/Argentina Agreement
  • Commercial questions
  • Article 24.6
  • Nigeria
  • Other business: UN financial crisis
  • In the margins:
    • Signature of EU/Andean Agreement on chemical precursors for drugs followed by dinner to discuss future of EU/Andean Pact relations
    • Signature of Interim Agreement with Kazakhstan

December 5: Labour and Social Affairs Council

  • Provisional agenda for the Social Affairs Council agreed as follows:
  • Approval of the provisional agenda.
  • Approval of the "A" points.
  • Employment:
    • open debate on employment policy
    • Council contribution to the Report on Employment to be submitted to the Madrid European Council (15/16 December)
    • extending the mandate of the ad hoc group
  • Draft decision on the fourth programme on Equal Opportunities between Men and Women1
  • Draft decision on the Fourth Community action programme in the area of health and safety at work (SAFE)
  • Draft decision on actions in favour of Older People1
  • Draft amending regulation in Regulations 1408/71, 574/72, 1247/92 and 1945/93 (social security for migrant workers): 1994 package1
  • Draft directive amending the Use of Work Equipment Directive1
  • Draft regulation and directive on the European Co-operative Society Statute—Presidency report
  • Draft decision on a multiannual programme for Community action in support on co-operatives, mutual societies, associations and foundations—Presidency report
  • Draft directive on Posted Workers
  • Draft directive on the Reconciliation of Family and Professional life—Commission information (possible) Draft recommendation on the Balanced Participation of Men and Women in Decision Making—Commission presentation
  • other business
  • 1Indicates items on which a vote may be taken.

December 7: Transport Council

  • Airport Ground Handling Liberalisation Directive (common position)
  • Driving Licences—amendment to allow plastic card driving licences (common position)
  • Amendment to Regulation 1107/70 on state aids to railways (orientation debate for political agreement)—Inland Waterways "package" (orientation debate)
  • Aviation Relations with US (debate)
  • Mandate for road haulage negotiations with Central and Eastern European countries (adoption of mandate)
  • Resolution on short sea shipping
  • Directive on Marine Safety Equipment (orientation debate for political agreement)
  • Report on implementation on Maritime Cabotage Regulation (debate).

The following subjects are likely to be discussed:

December 11–12: Agriculture Council

  • Reform of the rice regime (possible)
  • Reform of the fruit and vegetable regime
  • Set-aside (possible)
  • Meat products (possible)
  • Molluscs (possible)
  • Feedingstuffs (possible)
  • Pesticides (possible)

December 11: Ecofin Council

  • It is not certain that this Council will take place.

December 12: Foreign Affairs Council

  • It is not certain that this Council will take place.

December 14: Energy Council

  • Electricity liberalisation (possible common position)
  • Energy Policy White Paper (Commission presentation)
  • Paper on Gas Supply (Commission presentation)
  • Energy TENs (possible adoption)
  • Energy efficiency of fridges and freezers (possible common position)
  • Revision of Regulation on notification of energy investments (adoption)
  • Registration of Crude Oil Imports (adoption)
  • Repeal of several energy measures (progress report)
  • Energy Charter Treaty (progress report)
  • Euro-Mediterranean energy dimension (Presidency report)
  • (possible) Radiological protection safety standards

December 18: Ecofin Council

  • It is not certain that this Council will take place

December 18–19: Environment Council

  • Environmental impact assessment
  • Biocides (orientation debate)
  • Water (Council conclusions)
  • Codification (Council resolution)
  • Coastal zones (Council conclusions)
  • Light rain emissions (common position)
  • Ecolabelling debate
  • Ecomanagement and audit scheme
  • Climate change (Council conclusions)

December 20: Development Council

  • Food aid regulation
  • Humanitarian aid regulation
  • South Africa regulation
  • Gender and development
  • NGO cofinancing regulation
  • (possible) Decentralised cooperation regulation
  • Rehabilitation regulation
  • Refugees in Asia and Central America regulation
  • Tropical Forestry regulation

December 21–22: Fisheries Council

  • TACs and Quotas
  • EC/Norway
  • EC/Ireland
  • EC/Greenland
  • EC/Faeroes
  • EC/Latvia
  • EC/Lithuania
  • EC/Estonia
  • EC/Russia—Ex-Swedish agreements
  • EC/Poland—Ex-Swedish agreements
  • NAFO
  • End-year quota flexibility (possible)
  • Fixed gear (possible)
  • List of species for log books (possible)
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