EC (Council of Ministers) (Hansard, 25 June 1986)

§ Mr. Spearing
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will state the nature of the main items of business discussed at the Internal Market Council of Ministers of the European Economic Community since May 1985, listing those decisions taken.

§ Mr. Alan Clark
Since May 1985 the Internal Market Council has discussed a wide range of measures aimed at reducing barriers to free trade in goods and services in the 179W Community. These include proposals on technical standards, freedom of establishment for the professions, freedom to provide financial services, and frontier formalities and customs controls. The Internal Market Council on 23 June noted a list of 31 measures adopted in this period as follows:
I. The Removal of Physical Barriers

—Sixth Directive on exemptions in international travel:

increase to 350 ECU.

(Directive 85/348/EEC)

—Tax reliefs to be allowed on the importation of goods in small consignments of a non-commercial nature.

(adopted in part) (Directive 85/349/EEC)

—Duty-free admission of fuel contained in the fuel tanks of commercial motor vehicles.

(adopted in part) (Directive 85/347/EEC)

—Single document

= Introduction of a Community export declaration form.

(Regulation (EEC) No. 1900/85)

= 5th amendment of Regulation (EEC) No. 222/77 on Community transit.

(Regulation (EEC) No. 1901/85)

= Standardization and simplification of statistics of trade between Member States

(Regulation (EEC) No. 2954/85)

= Amendment of Regulation No. 1900/85 introducing Community export and import declaration forms (Regulation (EEC) No. 1059/86)

—Inward processing traffic

(Regulation (EEC) No. 1999/85)

—Co-ordinated development of computerized administrative procedures (CD project)

(Decision 86/23/EEC)

—Conditions under which a person may be permitted to make a customs declaration

(Regulation (EEC) No. 3632/86)

—Origin (adaptation consequent upon enlargement)

=Regulation on the concept of "originating products" and methods of administrative co-operation in the trade between the customs territory of the Community, Ceuta, Melilla and the Canary Islands (Regulation (EEC) No. 570/86)

=Regulation on the rules of origin for trade between Spain and Portugal in the period during which the transitional measures are applied

(Regulation (EEC) No. 846/86)

=Regulation abolishing certain postal charges for customs presentation

(Regulation (EEC) No. 1797/86)

II. The Removal of Technical Barriers

(Industrial sector)

—Restrictions on the marketing and use of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls)

(Directive 85/467/EEC)

—Restrictions on the marketing and use of asbestos (adopted in part) (Directive 85/610/EEC)

—Accession to the European Agreement on detergents (Decision adopted on (12 December 1985)

—Non-ionic detergents (amendment of the Directive)

(Directive 86/94/EEC)

—Ranges of nominal quantities and nominal capacities permitted for certain prepackaged products

(Directive 86/96/EEC)

—Tyre pressure gauges for motor vehicles

(Directive 86/217/EEC)

—Rear-mounted roll-over protection structures of narrow-track wheeled agricultural and forestry tractors

(Directive adopted on 26 May 1986)

—Power take-offs of wheeled agricultural and forestry tractors and their protection

(Directive adopted on 26 May 1986)

—Roll-over protective structures for certain construction plant

(Directive adopted on 26 May 1986)

—Falling-object protective structures for certain construction plant

(Directive adopted on 26 May 1986)
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—Directive concerning the first phase of establishment of the mutual recognition of type approval for telecommunications terminal equipment

(agreed by council on 9 June 1986)

III. Free movement for labour and the professions

—Comparability of vocational training qualifications (Decision 85/368/EEC)

—Co-ordination of provisions in respect of certain activities in the field of pharmacy

(Directives 85/432/EEC, 85/433/EEC and 85/434/EEC)

—Mutual recognition of qualifications in pharmacy

(Directive 85/433/EEC)

IV. Common Market for Services (Financial services)
Capital Movements
Creation of Suitable Conditions for Industrial Co-operation

—Undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities

(Directive 85/611/EEC)

—Liberalisation of the units of collective undertakings for investment in transferable securities

(Directive 85/583/EEC)

— European co-operation grouping

(Regulation (EEC) No. 2137/85)

—Liability for defective products

(Directive 85/374/EEC)

§ Mr. Maples
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the outcome of the European Community Council of Industry Ministers of 9 June.

§ Mr. Peter Morrison
The Industry Council, at which I represented the United Kingdom, heard a report from the European Commission on its consultations with member states on the Community regime for state aids to shipbuilding which should apply after the fifth directive expires at the end of 1986. The Commission will produce formal proposals for a new directive during the United Kingdom presidency of the Community.
The Council also reviewed progress on a number of measures in the high technology field. Of these the following were adopted: Directive concerning the first phase of the establishment of the mutual recognition of type approval for telecommunications terminal equipment. Resolution on the use of videoconference and videophone techniques.
The Council also held a preliminary discussion on public purchasing. The Commission is expected to put forward proposals in this area during the United Kingdom presidency.