§ Mr. Bellinghamasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Council of Ministers' meeting on consumer affairs which took place on 2 March.
§ Mr. FletcherI attended the Council on 2 March, which was the second to be devoted to consumer affairs.
The Council decision on the introduction of a community system for the rapid exchange of information on dangers arising from the use of consumer products, which had been agreed in principle at the previous consumer affairs Council on 12 December 1983, was formally adopted.
There was a detailed discussion of the product liability directive which centred on the question of the extent to which there should be a financial limit to a producer's liability. No decisions were taken, but there was further clarification of individual national positions on this aspect and agreement on the matters which should be explored further in the Committee of Permanent Representatives and by specialists.
We also discussed the misleading advertising directive. I explained that this proposal as it stands would require a disproportionate upheaval in our present law and practice. It is now to be reviewed in the light of our concerns, with a view to giving member states as much flexibility as possible in the choice of methods used to control misleading advertising. Certain other changes were also agreed to improve and simplify its provisions.
A broad consensus on the text of the doorstep selling directive was achieved, although one member state has retained its general reserve on this directive.
The Commission made a statement on consumer affairs policy, reviewing the community consumer action programmes and outlining its plans for the future. I made it clear that the United Kingdom wishes to see the removal of technical barriers to trade and the effective functioning 733W of the internal market in goods and services and that we would support action at Community level on consumer affairs subjects which contribute to this objective. But I also stressed our view that legislation is not always the right way to deal with problems and the Council should be given an early opportunity to discuss what form action should take in any a particular case; there are some consumer problems which are best dealt with at a national rather than Community-wide level. The Commission's paper on this subject will be discussed in more detail at the next consumer affairs Council.
The Commission also drew attention to its recently issued consultative document on unfair terms in consumer contracts.
A further meeting of the Council of Ministers on consumer affairs is expected to take place in June.