HL Deb 05 March 1998 vol 586 cc171-7WA
Lord Hardy of Wath

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will list the forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union for March; and list the major European Union events for the next six months. [HL874]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)

The following Councils are scheduled:

Monthly forecast of business for March 1998
Date Location Event
March 9 Brussels ECOFIN Council
March 16–17 Brussels Agriculture Council
March 17 Brussels Transport Council
March 19 Brussels Justice and Home Affairs Council
March 23 Brussels Environment Council
March 24 Brussels Fisheries Council
March 30 Brussels Internal Market Council
March 30–31 Brussels General Affairs Council
March 31 Brussels Agriculture Council

The following subjects are likely to be discussed:

March 9: Ecofin Council

  • 1996 budget discharge and statement of assurance: Council recommendation.
  • Preparation of Stage 3 of EMU (ECB legislation under Article 106(6)).
  • Tax policy package: follow up—preparation for establishment of group for assessment of harmful measures—Commission presentation of proposals on interest and royalties (possible item).
  • Employment package (EIB).

March 16–17: Agriculture Council (provisional agenda)

  • EU/US veterinary and phytosanitary equivalence agreement.
  • Proposal for a directive on laying hens: Commission presentation (possible item).
  • Commission communication on food, veterinary and plant health control and inspection: Commission report (possible item).
  • Report on Agri-environment Regulation (possible item).
  • Report on OECD meeting in Paris.
  • Report of the meeting of the Quint group of countries in Paris:
  • EU, US, Canada, Japan and Australia

March 17: Transport Council

  • Recommendation for a Council Decision authorising the Commission to start negotiations with a view to establishing a European organisation responsible for civil aviation safety: Policy debate.
  • Recommendation for a Council Decision authorising the Commission to start negotiations with a view to establishing Community membership of the WA 173 European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL): Policy debate.
  • Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2299/89 on a code of conduct for computerised reservation systems (CRSs): Common position, co-operation procedure Art. 189c.
  • Recommendation for a Council Decision authorising the Commission to start negotiations with the United States in the field of air transport: Progress report.
  • Proposal for a Council Regulation on statistical returns in respect of carriage of goods by road: Adoption.
  • Proposal for a Council Directive on transportable pressure equipment: Common position, co-operation procedure Art. 189c.
  • Proposal for a Council Regulation on the recognition in intra-Community traffic of the distinguishing sign of the Member State in which motor vehicles and their trailers are registered:
  • Common position, co-operation procedure Art. 189c.
  • Proposal for a Council Directive on the charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures: Common position.

March 19: Justice and Home Affairs Council

  • Eurodac Convention: Conclusion and signature.
  • Action against illegal immigration including Iraq (possible item).
  • Joint action establishing the Odysseus programme.
  • Implementation of the Dublin Convention (possible item).
  • Regulation establishing the Common Visa List. Schengen acquis.
  • Schengen: Negotiations with Norway and Iceland.
  • Elements of the Organised Crime Action Plan: Joint action on criminal offence to participate in a criminal organisation—joint action on the European judicial network—mechanism for collection of data and analysis standards—Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance: Progress report—review of progress of Action Plan.
  • Convention on Driving Disqualification.
  • Europol: Confidentiality regulations—rules of joint supervisory body—headquarters agreement: Progress report—other preparations for implementation.
  • Report on 1997 Customs Joint Surveillance Operations.
  • Review of progress on external relations, (possibly) including Pre-Accession Pact.

March 23: Environment Council

  • Proposal for a Council Decision amending Decision 93/389/EEC for a monitoring mechanism of Community carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions: Common position, co-operation procedure Art. 189c.
    • WA 174
  • Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending Regulation EEC No. 1210/90 of 07.05.1990 on the establishment of the European Environment Agency and the European Environment Information and Observation Networks: Common position, co-operation procedure Art. 189c.
  • Proposal for a Council Directive on the landfill of waste: Common position, co-operation procedure Art. 189c.
  • Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to measures to be taken against air pollution by air emissions from motor vehicles and amending Council Directives 70/156/EEC and 70/220/EEC (light commercial vehicles): Common position, co-decision Art. 189b.
  • Proposal for a Council Directive to the limitation of the emissions of organic compounds due to the use of organic solvents in certain processes and industrial installations (VOCs); Common position, co-operation procedure Art. 189c.
  • Proposal for a Council Directive relating to limit values for sulphur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter and lead in ambient air: Orientation debate, co-operation procedure Art. 189c.
  • Proposal for a Council Directive relating to a reduction of the sulphur content of certain liquid fuels and amending directive 93/12/EEC: Orientation debate, co-operation procedure Art. 189c.
  • Amended proposal for a Council Directive establishing a framework for a Community action in the field of water policy: Orientation debate, co-operation procedure Art. 189c.
  • Proposal for a Council recommendation relating to the keeping of wild animals in zoos; Orientation debate, (possible) common position, co-operation procedure Art. 189c.
  • Community strategy on climate change: Council Conclusions.
  • Fourth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity: Council Conclusions.
  • Preparation of the 6th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development: Council Conclusions.

March 24: Fisheries Council

  • Post-Amsterdam enforcement proposal: Policy debate.
  • Proposal for the banning of drift-nets: Adoption.
  • Proposal to amend autonomous tariff quotas for 1998: Adoption.
  • Proposal to continue industrial fishing in the Baltic:
  • Adoption (possible item).
  • Commission reports concerning the regional meetings of the fisheries industry: Debate and Council Conclusions.

March 30: Internal Market Council

  • Action plan for the Single Market—transposition of internal market legislation—mutual recognition: Progress reports by the Commission, debate.
  • Simplification of legislation—Business Test Panel—review of progress on SLIM: Reports by the Commission.
  • Seminar on "Better Regulation": Information by the Presidency: Debate.
  • Instrastat: Common position.
  • Amendment of regulation on external trade statistics: Adoption. Reform of the Community Transit System: Common position (possible item).
  • Budget for the Customs 2000 project: Common position (possible item).
  • Legal Protection of Conditional Access Services: Common position.
  • Directive on legal protection of utility models: Presentation by the Commission.
  • Directive on copyright and related rights in the information society: Presentation by the Commission.
  • Follow-up Green Paper on Community Patent: Presentation by the Commission.
  • Proposal for a regulation on free movement of goods: Progress report.
  • Communication on Public Procurement: Presentation by the Commission, debate.
  • Commercial communications: Presentation by the Commission, debate and Council Conclusions.
  • European Company Statute: Orientation debate.
  • Directive on cocoa and chocolate products: Common position (possible item).
  • Vertical directives on foodstuffs: (possible) Adoption.

March 30–31: General Affairs Council

  • Enlargement.
  • Euratom/Russia agreements in the field of nuclear fusion and nuclear safety (possible A point).
  • Schengen.
  • Mediterranean Policy.
  • Switzerland.
  • ASEM II (final preparations).
  • EU/Russia Summit: Report.
  • China.
  • Western Balkans.
  • Great Lakes.
  • Middle East Peace Process.
  • World Trade Organisation: Preparation of Second Ministerial meeting in Geneva 18–20 May.
  • Multilateral Agreement on Investments.
  • Internal Jute Agreement (possible A point).

March 31: Agriculture Council

  • Agenda 2000.

This calendar is primarily concerned with European Union matters, but certain other relevant events are also included. Events and dates quoted are based on the information available on the date of issue.

European Calendar: March-August 1998
Date Location Event
March 1998
3 Brussels Political Committee
4 London Home Secretary meets EU Ambassadors
4 London Conference on Foreign Affairs
9 Brussels Ecofin Council
9–10 Manchester UK Presidency Better Regulation Conference
9–13 Strasbourg European Parliamentary Plenary
12–13 Brussels Committee of the Regions Plenary
12–13 London Joint Social & Education (Informal)
14–15 Edinburgh Foreign Ministers' Informal
15–17 Macclesfield Seminar for Cultural and Audiovisual Ministers
16–17 Brussels Agriculture Council
17 Brussels Transport Council
18–19 London Institutional Affairs Committee
19 Brussels Political Committee
19 Brussels Justice & Home Affairs Council
19 Cardiff WDA SME Conference
20–22 York Ecofin Informal
23 Brussels Environment Council
24 Brussels Fisheries Council
26–28 Humberside Fisheries Committee
30 Brussels Internal Market Council
30–31 Brussels General Affairs Council
30–31 Strasbourg European Parliament Plenary
31 Brussels Agriculture Council
31–1 April Moscow G8 Energy Ministerial
April 1998
1–3 Strasbourg European Parliament Plenary
2–4 London ASEM II
3–5 Leeds Castle G8 Environment Ministerial
6–7 London DTI Enterprising Europe Conference
6–8 Birmingham Audiovisual Conference
6–8 Birmingham Culture Committee
7 Luxembourg Social Affairs Council
7 Brussels Political Committee
16 Brussels Political Committee
20–21 Luxembourg Agriculture Council
21 Luxembourg Ecofin Council
23 Luxembourg Consumer Affairs Council
24–26 Chester Environment & Transport (Informal)
27–28 Luxembourg General Affairs Council
29–30 Brussels European Parliament
30 Luxembourg Health Council
May 1998
1–3 Brussels Ecofin & Special EMU Council
5 Brussels Political Committee (t.b.c.)
5–6 Belfast EU Ministers Women's Forum (Informal)
7 Brussels Industry Council
10–12 Newcastle Agriculture (Informal)
11 Brussels Energy Council (l.b.c.)
11 Brussels Euro-Med Energy Ministerial
11–15 Strasbourg European Parliament Plenary
12 Brussels Political Committee
14 London EU/Canada
14–15 London Innovative Partnerships for Competitiveness Conference
14–16 London Conference on Culture and Employment
15–17 Birmingham G8 Summit
18 London EU/US Summit
18 Brussels Development Council
18 Brussels Internal Market
18–20 Northern Ireland Regional Affairs Committee
19 Brussels Telecoms Council
19 Brussels Ecofin Council
25–26 Brussels General Affairs Council
25–26 Brussels Agriculture Council
27–28 Brussels European Parliament Plenary

European Calendar: March-August 1998
Date Location Event
28 Brussels Culture and Audiovisual Council
28–29 Brussels Justice & Home Affairs Council
June IMS
2 Luxembourg Political Committee
4 Luxembourg Education & Social Affairs Council
5 Luxembourg Ecofin Council
g Luxembourg Fisheries Council
8–9 Luxembourg General Affairs Council (t.b.c.)
8–9 Glasgow Regional Policy/Spatial Planning
15–16 Cardiff European Council
15–19 Strasbourg European Parliament Plenary
16–17 Luxembourg Environment Council
17 Luxembourg Joint Environment & Transport Council
18 Luxembourg Transport Council
19 Glasgow Energy & Environment Conference
22 Luxembourg Research Council
22–23 Luxembourg Agriculture Council
29–30 Luxembourg General Affairs Council (t.b.c.)
July 1998
1–2 Brussels European Parliament Plenary
6 Brussels Ecofin Council
6–7 Luxembourg Political Committee
8–10 Innsbruck Employment/Social Affairs/Women (Informal)
13 Luxembourg Political Committee
13–14 Luxembourg General Affairs Council
17–19 Luxembourg Environment Council (Informal)
20–21 Luxembourg Agriculture Council
23 Luxembourg Political Committee
27 Luxembourg Budget Council

August 1998

There are no Councils scheduled for this month.