§ 22. Mr. Lightbownasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress is being made in the discussions on reducing the barriers to trade within the European Community.
§ Mr. ChannonThe discussions of the Council of Ministers on the internal market on 26 October made some progress on the three priority areas identified at the Copenhagen European Council last December. These were, first, the creation of an early warning system for new standards and technical regulations adopted by member states and which might impede intra-Community trade; secondly, the adoption of a series of measures to reduce frontier formalities; and, thirdly, a resolution of the problem of certification of third country goods.
The early warning system for standards was agreed in March this year and is in the process of being set in place. As I said in my statement on 1 November, the last internal market Council reached agreement on all the main elements of the proposed frontier facilitation directive which in particular provides for common opening hours for major customs posts at adjacent frontiers, streamlined checking procedures, fast lanes for transit traffic. There was also agreement at the 26 October Council to resume progress on the technical aspects of those article 100 standards harmonising directives which have been blocked by the question of Community certification of third country goods. The aim is to identify directives which do not have this so-called third country problem and which could be adopted at an early stage.
In addition, the Council has agreed a number of other minor but useful internal market measures durng the course of this year.
The next meeting of the Council will be on 25 November. I hope that there will be further progress at this Council. The removal of the remaining non-tariff impediments to trade in both goods and services within the Community is a matter to which the Government attach high importance.