§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current state of negotiations regarding the extension of the derogation at European Union level for use of imperial measurements; which voting procedure will apply at the Council of Ministers; and which countries have already declared voting intentions. [72529]
§ Dr. HowellsI have been asked to reply.
On 15 February the European Commission published a proposal to, inter alia, extend until 31 December 2009 the period during which imperial units of measurement may be used optionally as supplementary indications of quantity alongside but no more prominent than the primary indication in metric units. The proposal is subject to qualified majority voting in the Council of Ministers and co-decision procedure with the European Parliament.
At a Commission working group in Brussels last year Member States indicated that they would support the proposal unopposed.