§ Lord Pearson of Rannochasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 17 June 2003 (WA 90), what powers and policy areas previously under the control of Parliament passed to the European Communities under the European Communities Act 1972; and under what form of voting in the Council of Ministers. [HL2380]
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave on 10 July 2003 (Official Report, col. WA 51). In 1972, when decisions needed to be adopted by the Council, they were generally taken by unanimity of consensus. The Treaties of Rome (the original having been amended by the Merger Treaty, a Budget Treaty and the Accession Treaty) did, however, provide for exceptions, and I have placed a list of these in the Library of the House.
§ Lord Pearson of Rannochasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 4 July 2003 (WA 140–42), what aspects of United Kingdom education and public health were subjected to, or introduced subject to, qualified majority voting under the Treaty of Maastricht. [HL2381]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanThe Maastricht Treaty enabled the European Council to use qualified majority voting in adopting recommendations in the health field on the prevention of diseases: in particular the major health scourges, including drug dependence.
73WAIn the field of education, the treaty enabled the Council to use qualified majority voting to adopt recommendations which contribute to the development of quality education by encouraging co-operation between member states and, if necessary, by supporting and supplementing their action.
§ Lord Pearson of Rannochasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 4 July 2003 (WA 140–42), what aspects of United Kingdom education and public health were made subject to the co-decision procedure under the Treaty of Maastricht. [HL2382]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanAccording to the Treaty of Maastricht, in the health field the Community could adopt measures under the co-decision procedure, excluding any harmonisation of the laws and regulations of the member states, in order to contribute to achievement of the following objectives:
- ensuring a high level of human health protection by encouraging co-operation between the member states and, if necessary, lending support to their action;
- the prevention of diseases, in particular the major health scourges, including drug dependence, by promoting research into their causes and their transmission, as well as health information and education.
In education, co-decision was applied to measures, excluding any harmonisation of the laws and regulations of the member states, that achieved the following objectives:
- developing the European dimension in education, particularly through the teaching and dissemination of the languages of the member states;
- encouraging mobility of students and teachers, by encouraging inter alia, the academic recognition of diplomas and periods of study;
- promoting co-operation between educational establishments;
- developing exchanges of information and experience on issues common to the education systems of the member states;
- encouraging the development of youth exchanges and of exchanges of socio-educational instructors;
- encouraging the development of distance education.