Council of Ministers (Hansard, 26 May 1988)

§ Mrs. Chalker

The usual forecast was deposited in the House earlier today. At present, 14 meetings of the Council of Ministers are planned for June.

The Economic and Finance Council will meet on 6 June to discuss the Commission's proposals on the liberalisation of capital movements.

Agriculture Ministers will meet informally on 6–7 June for bilateral discussions on the 1988–89 price-fixing proposals and income aids. These discussions will continue at a formal Council on 13–14 June whose agenda also includes veterinary inspection fees; quick frozen foodstuffs; materials and articles in contact with food; control of food additives; extraction solvents; and health problems affecting intra-Community trade in meat products.

The Internal Market Councils on 7 and 22 June will discuss a number of measures relevant to the completion of the single market.

The Social Affairs Council which meets on 9 June is expected to adopt the directive proscribing four specified carcinogens and will consider common positions, under the cooperation procedure, on the draft directives on benzene and exposure limits. The Council will also discuss the draft directives on carcinogens (framework); health and safety at the workplace; minimum workplace requirements; and equal treatment in social security.

The Energy Council will meet on 9 June and will consider the Commission's analysis of potential obstacles 241W to the creation of an internal market in energy; a paper on co-operation between major electricity utilities and private generators based on renewable energy sources, waste energy, and combined heat and power; and a report on the implementation by member states of Council recommendations on encouragement of investment in solid fuels in the industrial, public building and district heating sectors.

There will also be discussion of possible acceleration of discrete energy efficiency investments by means of third party financing, and of the Commission's review of member states' energy policies in the context of the Community's energy objectives agreed to 1995.

The Foreign Affairs Council meets on 13/14 June. The Council will discuss the implementation of the European Council Conclusions on financing the Community. It will also discuss a Commission paper setting out possible broad guidelines for the approach to the forthcoming renegotiation of the Lomé convention, and will have a further meeting with the European Parliament on the extension of the Food Aid Framework Regulation. Discussions are also expected to cover progress made in negotiations with Hungary on a trade and co-operation agreement; relations between the Community and the United States; and the dates of the 1989 European Parliament elections.

The Environment Council meets on 16 June to discuss Commission proposals on large combustion plants; the protection of the ozone layer; major accident hazards; vehicle emissions (small cars); the reduction of wastes from the production of titanium oxide; and the five year programme illustrating the favourable impact of environmental projects on employment.

The Transport Council will meet on 20/21 June to discuss a number of important outstanding transport issues, including road haulage market access, vehicle weights and dimensions, vehicle taxation, transport infrastructure, shipping, through-transit problems, drivers' hours and combined transport. Other subjects that may also be added to the agenda for this meeting are; access to road haulage profession; vehicle testing and relations with IACO (aviation).

The Fisheries Council is expected to meet on 1 June to discuss the tuna market regime; control-reporting of Member States; technical conservation in the Baltic sea; additional catch quotas for Greenland; change in migration of western mackerel stock; and relations with third countries.

The Industry Council meets on 24 June to consider the future of ECSC steel production quotas, and rules on providing state aid for the Community steel industry.

The European Council to be held in Hanover on 27/28 June is expected to concentrate on the progress being made towards the completion of the single market and setting guidelines for future priorities.

The Research Council will meet on 29 June. The provisional agenda anticipates the formal adoption of the Drive, Delta, Bureau of Community Reference and science programmes and an extension of the biotechnology programme. The Council will discuss the fusion programme and the extension to the JET statutes and will consider a common position and common orientations for the 1988–91 programme of work of the joint research centre.

It may also be possible for the Council to adopt common positions on the AIM programme and the 242W ECLAIR programme. There will be discussion of the relationship between EC and EUREKA programmes, of the relationship of Community research activity to technical norms and standards, and of bioethical issues on the basis of communications from the Commission, Some discussion is also possible of the Japanese ideas for a human frontier science programme.

The Telecommunications Council on 30 June is likely to discuss the Commission's Green Paper on the development of the Common Market for telecommunications services and equipment; a proposed Council directive which the Commission is expected to submit shortly on the opening up of public purchasing in telecommunications; and a possible agreement on a common European emergency number. It may also discuss satellite high definition television standards.