§ Mr. David MartinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on the outcome of the Environment Council held on 28 June.
§ Mr. MoynihanI represented the United Kingdom at this meeting which resumed on 28 June.
I am pleased to report that in a brief discussion on large combustion plants, Denmark, France and Italy withdrew their reserves on the agreement in principle which was reached at the last Council of 16 June, and on which I reported in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond and Barnes (Mr. Hanley). In the light of a minor change to the text, Portugal also withdrew its reserve. The United Kingdom maintained a parliamentary scrutiny reserve on the directive.
After further lengthly discussion a political agreement was reached by qualified majority, and subject to a United Kingdom parliamentary scrutiny reserve, on the Commission's proposals for the second stage limit values for gaseous emissions from small cars.
I am pleased to say that Ministers also reached agreement on draft guidelines for a future Council directive to harmonise programmes for the reduction and eventual elimination of pollution caused by waste from the titanium dioxide industry.
Further consideration was given to a proposal for a Communitywide programme of projects demonstrating how actions taken in the environmental field might contribute to employment creation. The proposal is to be discussed again at the next Council.
360WThe Council agreed a resolution on the protection of the North sea and other Community waters, put forward by the German delegation following the recent problems associated with algae growth in he Skagerrak and Kattegat.
A discussion on the dispatch of toxic waste to developing countries ended with a statement of presidency conclusions.
The Council also heard statements from Denmark and the Commission on proposals in the field of biotechnology and from the Commission on nuclear safety.