§ Sir Trevor SkeetTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Environment Council on 24 November.
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§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyMy noble Friend the Minister for Housing, the Environment and Countryside represented the United Kingdom at this meeting.
The Council transmitted a draft declaration on the environment to the European Council in Rhodes on 2–3 December for endorsement by Heads of Government.
I am pleased to report that the Council confirmed the provisional agreement reached in June this year for a second stage limit for small car emissions at 8 grams per test of hydrocarbons plus oxides of nitrogen (HC + NOX).
Ministers also reached agreement on proposals to harmonise national programmes for reducing pollution from the titanium dioxide industry. The provisions of the directive will lead to reductions in the amounts of pollutants discharged into North sea estuaries and will provide this important industry with a clear basis for planning its future investment. Council unanimously overruled the Commission recommendation for a legal base of article 100A of the Single European Act, in favour of article 130S.
The Council had a useful exchange of views on the draft directive on the contained use of genetically modified micro-organisms. The progress made was noted and it was recommended that further work be addressed as a matter of priority.
While almost all member states were prepared to contemplate Community action to help protect our natural heritage, the Commission's approach to a directive was unanimously rejected. There was general support for the United Kingdom's view that the Community could most usefully assist member states, where appropriate, to implement fully the Bern, Bonn and Ramsar conventions.
Progress was made in discussions on a draft directive on the prevention of air pollution from new municipal waste incineration plants.
The Council had an exchange of views on measures to protect the ozone layer. Most delegations supported the United Kingdom's proposal that the Community should call for the Montreal protocol to be strengthened by requiring an 85 per cent. reduction of world-wide emissions of chlorofluorocarbons by the turn of the century.
Interest was shown in a Danish proposal for a workshop in September 1989 on following up the recommendations of the Brundtland report.
Further consideration was given to a proposal for Community-wide programme of projects demonstrating how actions taken in the environmental field might contribute to employment creation.
The Council agreed a resolution on exports of hazardous waste to third countries, supporting wider international agreements on transfrontier shipments of waste. The United Kingdom presented its own proposals which were received sympathetically and will now be further considered in detail with the Commission and other member states.