§ Lord Brougham and Vauxasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will report on the results of the Foreign Affairs Council on 1st October and 21st and 22nd October.
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§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Young)The Foreign Affairs Council met on 1st October and 21st and 22nd October.
On 1st October my honourable friend the Member for Edinburgh, Pentlands (Mr. Malcolm Rifkind) represented the United Kingdom. On 21st and 22nd October, my right honourable friend the Minister for Trade, (Mr. Paul Channon) my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, (Mr. Tim Eggar) and my honourable friend the member for Edinburgh, Pentlands (Mr. Malcolm Rifkind) represented the United Kingdom.
On 1st October, the Council had a first discussion of the Commission's proposals for the adaptation of the Community's agreements with Mediterranean third countries to take account of enlargement.
The Council discussed the Community position on the United Nations Special Programme of Action for Least Developed Countries to be held at Geneva including the offer of a new system of export earnings compensation for Least Developed Countries not covered by the Lomé Convention.
The Council held a general discussion on EC-US trade relations.
The President of the Commission introduced the Commission paper on measures to improve Europe's performance in high technology. The paper was referred to Ministers responsible for research for further consideration.
In political co-operation the Ministers of the Ten, Spain and Portugal issued a statement condemning the bombing of the PLO headquarters in Tunis. This statement has been placed in the Library of the House.
On 21st and 22nd October, the Council discussed adaptation of the Community's agreements with Mediterranean third countries to take account of enlargement.
The Council discussed bilateral trade relations between the Community and the United States, and agreed a declaration which stressed the importance of working for mutually acceptable solutions to outstanding problems and resisting protectionist pressures. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
The Council held a discussion of trade relations with Japan prior to the visit of several Commissioners to Tokyo in November.
The Council agreed in principle to a proposal by the Commission to accelerate tariff cuts agreed under the Tokyo Round.
Agreement on a draft directive on frontier controls was blocked by the continuing opposition of Denmark.
An EC-Israel Co-operation Council was held in the margins of the meeting.