§ Mr. David ShawTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the forthcoming business in the European Community Council of Ministers.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe Economic and Finance Council will meet on 13 February. The Commission is expected to present proposals for harmonising the taxation of savings. The Council may also consider a further extension of the new community instrument (NIC V), and may need to consider two own resources implementing regulations.
The Agriculture Council will meet on 13 and 14 February to discuss 1989 CAP price-fixing proposals, aid for the production of grain legumes and extensification. It may also consider beef balance sheets, controls in the wine sector, and veterinary and phytosanitary harmonisation measures.
The Foreign Affairs Council, meeting on 20 and 21 February, will review progress on resolving the dispute between the EC and the United States over hormone-treated beef, discuss the EC's position for the San Jose V meeting with central American states in San Pedro de Sula, Honduras 27 and 28 February; and adopt a position for the EC/Tunisia co-operation council, to be held in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Counil. It may also discuss: the outcome of the EC/ACP ministerial meeting in Brazzaville on 16 and 17 February, where negotiations on a successor to the present Lome convention will continue; preparations for the EC/EFTA informal ministerial meeting to be held alongside the Foreign Affairs Council in March; draft mandates for negotiations on trade and co-operation agreements with Poland and Bulgaria and EC/Israel purchase tax discrimination.
The Fisheries Council will meet on 23 February to discuss autonomous tariff quotas and possibly the EC/USSR fish agreement.
The Internal Market Council on 27 February will discuss a number of measures relevant to the completion of the single market.
114W