§ Sir Geoffrey FinsbergTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the outcome of the meetings of TREVI and European Community Immigration Ministers in Paris on 15 December.
§ Mr. WaddingtonThe meeting of TREVI Ministers endorsed a number of measures to reinforce co-operation among member states in the fields of law enforcement and security. In particular, we agreed to do more to co-ordinate our efforts to combat drug trafficking and organised crime, and to co-operate in measures to prevent disorder at international football matches. We approved priorities for further work to develop co-operation in general, including the development of a network of liaison officers; speedier sharing of information; joint studies of scientific and technical aspects; and strengthening security at the external borders of the European Community.
274WThe meeting of Ministers concerned with immigration, attended also by a vice-president of the Commission, was the seventh such meeting following the establishment during the United Kingdom presidency in 1986 of the ad hoc working group on immigration.
Ministers had before them a report from senior officials which set out the work undertaken during the French Presidency and which was approved. In particular, we restated our desire for the conclusion of a convention determining which state should be responsible for examining an asylum applications and we welcomed the opening of discussions on a draft convention on the crossing of external borders of the member states of the Community. Building on earlier discussions, the latter provides for controls to be operated to a common standard at member states' external frontiers and for the harmonisation of a visa policies. It also includes proposals for the recognition of visas issued by other member states and in the longer term for a common visa. Although the United Kingdom is not at present in a position to agree to all these proposals, I undertook that we would play a full and active part in discussing them.
I was pleased to make contact with my Community colleagues at these meetings, at which we also agreed upon two public declarations outlining the measures under development respectively in TREVI and in immigration with a view to completion of the single market. I shall be arranging for copies of these declarations to be placed in the Library.