§ Sir Michael Shawasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report a statement of forthcoming business in the European Community Council of Ministers.
§ Mr. RifkindAt present eight meetings of the Council of Ministers are planned for November. The usual written forecast was deposited in the House on 27 October.
The Energy Council will meet on 4 November. Energy Ministers are expected to discuss the Community's energy objectives for 1990. In addition, Ministers are expected to discuss the solid fuels initiative including coking coal; energy demonstration projects; the rational use of energy and the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas resources.
The Special Council will meet on 9 to 12 November to discuss the future financing of the Community and other issues covered in the Stuttgart declaration in preparation for the European Council in Athens. Our main concern will be to reach agreement on an effective control of the rate of increase of agricultural and other expenditure and on an arrangement to ensure a fair sharing of the financial burden so that no country has to pay a share disproportionate to its relative national wealth.
The Economic and Finance Council is expected to meet on 14 November. In preparation for the Athens European 157W Council it is possible that the Council will further discuss economic and monetary matters. Ministers may also have an initial discussion of the Commission proposal on financing of European innovation loans.
The Agriculture Council is expected to meet on 14–15 November. It is expected to consider the Commission's proposals for a Community agricultural structure programme which includes extension of less favoured areas; the Commission's proposals for imports of butter from New Zealand; imports of frozen beef under GATT from third countries; the Commission's proposals for amending or phasing out monetary compensatory amounts—MCAs—and a review of the sheepmeat regime.
The Development Council will meet on 15 November and is expected to discuss Community assistance to national food aid strategies, food aid policy, and guidelines for the 1984 aid programme to non-associates.
The budget Council will meet on 22 November to consider the European Parliament's amendments and modifications to the 1984 Draft community budget.
The Council of Environment Ministers will meet on 28 November. Items which are likely to be on the agenda include the draft directive on environmental assessment of public and private projects, the draft regulation on action by the Community relating to the environment, the draft directives on air pollution, mercury in the aquatic environment, the transfrontier shipment of hazardous waste, and a working group interim report on the introducion of unleaded petrol It is also possible that the draft directive on beverage containers will be on the agenda.
The Foreign Affairs Council is expected to meet on 28–29 November to discuss Greenland's future relationship with the European Communities; the institutional arrangements for determining the Community's food aid programme for 1984 and onwards, and arrangements for voluntary restraint on steel imports from third countries in 1984. Ministers may also discuss the Commission's consultations with the United States Administration about quotas and duties imposed on EC special steel imports into the United States, and possible action by the community in the trade policy field as a follow-up to the OECD ministerial meeting and the Williamsburg summit of May 1983.
The Council will also prepare its position on various aspects of the Portuguese accession negotiations in preparation for the ministerial negotiating conference with the Portuguese which is expected to take place in the margins of the Council.