§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 13 December 1999,Official Report, columns 59–60W, concerning parliamentary scrutiny of policy decisions or agreements on matters placed before the European Council at Helsinki on 10 to 11 December 1999, if he will list (a) the decisions approved there together with the title and reference numbers of related public documents; and (b) when they and related Government memoranda were placed in the Vote Office of the House. [105129]
§ Mr. VazStrictly speaking, the European Council does not take decisions, but notes documents submitted to it in Council Conclusions. A number of documents were submitted to the Helsinki European Council on 10–11 December 1999. The table gives the titles, references and details of the scrutiny history of each document.
933W934W 935W
Scrutiny of documents submitted to Helsinki council Document title Reference Deposited in vote office Date of explanatory memoranda (EM) Comment Enlargement: Council report on the European Conference 13764/99 No — Sent to European Scrutiny Committee for information Enlargement: Commission Composite Paper 12053/99 3 November 1999 FCO EMs of 22 and 29 November 1999 — IGC on Institutional Reform: Presidency Report 13636/99 No — Sent to European Scrutiny Committee under cover of letter from FCO Minister of State Enlargement: Guidelines for reform and Operational Recommendations 13863/99 No — Sent to European Scrutiny Committee under cover of letter from FCO Minister of State CFSP: Presidency Reports on Military and Non-Military Crisis Management 13619/1/99 14 December 1999 FCO EMs of 30 November 1999 addressing security and defence, and military crisis separately — Common Strategy on Russia: Presidency progress report and workplan 13483/1/99 No — Sent to European Scrutiny Committee for information Common Strategy on Ukraine 13523/2/99 14 December 1999 FCO EM of 30 November 1999 — Stability Pact for SE Europe: Report on EU action 13814/99 — — Sent to European Scrutiny Committee for information Economic and Monetary Affairs: Council Report on Economic Policy Co-ordination 13123/1/99 15 February 2000 EM under preparation — Economic and Monetary Affairs: Council Report on Reinforced Tax Co-operation 13140/1/99 27 January 2000 Treasury EM of 17 January 2000 — Economic and Monetary Affairs: Presidency report reviewing the Fight against Fraud 13329/99 No — Sent to European Scrutiny Committee for information Employment: Joint Employment Report 1999 10993/99, 13607/99 8 October 1999 (version 10993/99) DfEE EM of 18 October 1999 — Employment: Council Report on Employment Guidelines 2000 10992/99, 13605/99 8 October 1999 (version 10992/99) DfEE EM of 18 October 1999 — Employment: Council recommendation on the implementation of member States' employment policies 10994/99,13608/99 11 October 1999 (version 10994/99) DfEE EM of 18 October 1999 — Council Report: for Integrating environmental aspects and sustainable development into energy policy 13773/99 11 January 2000 DTI EM of 4 January 2000 — Council Report: on strategy on the integration of environmental and sustainable development into transport policy 11717/99 — — EM under preparation Council Report: Integration of environmental protection and sustainable development into the Internal Market policy 11393/99, 13622/99 7 January 2000 (version 11393/99) DTI EM of 11 January 2000 — Council Report: Integrating sustainable development into the industry policy of the EU 13549/1/99 6 January 2000 26 October 1999 — Council Report: Strategy on the environmental integration and sustainable development in common agriculture policy established by the Agriculture Council 12328/99, 13078/99 26 November 1999 (version 12328/99) 28 November 1999 — Council Report on the integration of environment in the Community's development policies 13644/99 No DfID unnumbered EM of 29 October 1999 — Commission Report on integrating environment and sustainable development into Community policies 13572/99 No — Sent to European Scrutiny Committee for information.
Scrutiny of documents submitted to Helsinki council Document title Reference Deposited in vote office Date of explanatory memoranda (EM) Comment Commission co-ordinated report on environmental indicators 13573/99 No — Sent to the European Scrutiny Committee for information Commission Communication on the global evaluation of the 5th action programme for the environment 13598/99 20 December 1999 DETR EM of 12 January 2000 — Commission Report on Better Lawmaking 1999, including Subsidiarity 13725/99 20 December 1999 6 January 2000 — Organised Crime: Report on the finalisation and evaluation of the Action Plan 9917/99 7 September 1999 22 September 1999 — European Strategy against Drugs 12555/99 26 November 1999 26 November 1999 — EU Action Plan on Russian Organised Crime: Basic Principles 10532/99,13009/1/99 7 September 1999 (version 10532/99) 22 September 1999 — Human Rights: Report on the reinforcement of EU action 13557/99 No — Sent to European Scrutiny Committee for information Commission Report on safeguarding current sport structures and maintaining the social function of sport within the Community framework COM(99)644 14 December 1999 DCMS EM of 20 December 1999