HC Deb 26 May 1989 vol 153 cc772-4W
Mrs. Gorman

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of forthcoming business in the European Community Council of Ministers.

Mrs. Chalker

The usual forecast was deposited in the House earlier today. At present 13 meetings of the Council of Ministers are planned for June.

The Consumers Affairs Council on 1 June will discuss the consumer credit directive which will harmonise the method of calculating annual percentage rate (APR) of charges on credit. The Council will also discuss a proposed Council resolution setting out future priorities for consumer policy; a Commission report on progress of the Council regulation of 9 June 1986 on consumer education in primary and secondary schools; and a Commission proposal for a Council directive on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the member states concerning general product safety. There will be a formal mid-term review of the five-year European home and leisure accident surveillance system (EHLASS) pilot scheme.

The annual EC/ACP Council of Ministers meeting will be held in Brussels on 2 June. This will be followed on 3 to 5 June by the next EC/ACP ministerial negotiating meeting in the current renegotiation of the Lomé convention.

The Transport Council on 5 and 6 June is expected to continue its discussions on negotiations on shipping with west and central Africa; possible arrangements for introducing road haulage cabotage; the weights of two, three, four, five and six-axled commercial vehicles; the progress of negotiations with Austria, Switzerland and Yugoslavia on the transit of Community traffic through those countries; the maximum permitted blood alcohol concentration for vehicle drivers; the compulsory use of seat belts in vehicles of less than 3.5 tonnes; the tread depth of tyres of certain categories of motor vehicles and their trailers; statistical returns in respect of the carriage of goods by road; a possible code of conduct for computerised reservation systems in air transport; and air traffic systems capacity problems. It may also discuss positive measures of support for the Community shipping fleet; vocational training for certain drivers of vehicles carrying dangerous goods by road; and the inter-regional air services directive.

The Environment Council meets on 8 and 9 June. The Government are hoping for agreement on a resolution on climate change which will acknowledge the importance of the problem and call on the Community to develop suitable policies in response to it. The Council will also discuss a proposed directive establishing a safety regime for work using genetically modified organisms and a draft directive on the deliberate release of such organisms into the environment. Other subjects for discussion are the Commission's amended proposal for small car emission standards; a proposal to amend directive 80/779/EEC to provide for stringent limit values of sulphur dioxide; a proposal to limit emissions from existing municipal waste incineration plants; a proposal to add four new substances to the framework directive on substances in water; a draft directive on harmonising member states' programmes for reducing and eliminating pollution caused by waste from the titanium dioxide industry; and Commission reports on proposed directives concerning protection of habitats and nitrate pollution in water.

The Social Affairs Council, meeting on 12 and 13 June, is expected to give preliminary consideration to a Commission communication on a draft charter of social rights and consider with a view to adoption the health and safety framework directive. The Council will also consider the Hanover study of working conditions; proposals for a directive on equal treatment in social security; proposals for a decision on measures to foster the economic and social integration of the least-favoured groups; and draft presidency conclusions on employment of the disabled and the sharing of work and family responsibilities. It may also discuss proposals for a regulation on measures to help redundant shipworkers and amendments to the family benefit provisions of the migrant workers regulations.

The Foreign Affairs Council on 12 and 13 June will discuss further the draft mandate for negotiations with the USSR on a trade, commercial and economic co-operation agreement. The Council may also discuss further the Community's trade relations with the United States including the dispute over hormones in meat, soya, and developments in the implementation of section "Super 301" of the 1988 US Trade Act. There may be discussion of progress in the GATT Uruguay round negotiations and progress on the Lomé renegotiation in the light of the EC/ACP ministerial negotiating meeting in Brussels on 3 to 5 June.

The Internal Market Council on 14 and 15 June will discuss a number of measures relevant to the completion of the single market.

The Economic and Finance Council will meet on 19 June to discuss the Commission's proposed reform of the financial regulation and to have a follow-up discussion to the March Council on combating fraud against the Community budget. The Council is also expected to discuss draft directives on solvency ratios for credit institutions; the second banking co-ordination directive; taxation of savings; a report on tax approximation from the Committee of Permanent Representatives; the draft 18th VAT directive concerning the ending of various derogations available to the member states under the terms of the 6th VAT directive; and three company tax measures designed to encourage co-operation between enterprises in different member states. The discussions on insider trading will focus on a draft directive co-ordinating regulations across the Community, thereby imposing minimum standards and providing for collaboration in the exchange of information. The Presidency hopes to reach a common position at the meeting.

The Agriculture Council will meet on 19 and 20 June to discuss internal market items and certain amendments to quality and sparkling wine regulations. It may also discuss New Zealand sheep and butter and the reviews of the cereals co-responsibility levy and of the sheep regime.

The Research Council will meet on 20 June. The agenda anticipates the adoption of eight R and D programme proposals: EUROTRA (machine translation); FLAIR (food science and technology); VALUE (dissemination and utilisation of results from scientific research); MAST (marine science and technology); MONITOR (forecasting and assessment of R and D); DOSES (statistical expert systems); Radiation protection; and TELEMAN (remote handling in nuclear hazardous environments). It is expected that common positions will be agreed on the following programme proposals: STEP-EPOCH (environment and climatology); BRIDGE (biotechnology) and raw materials. There will also be discussions of a proposed resolution on COST (European Co-operation in S and T) and the mid-term review of the framework programme.

The Fisheries Council meets on 21 June to discuss Community aid for surveillance costs. It may also discuss fisheries relations between the Community and the USSR, Community acceptance of an additional Greenland quota and the proposed reduction of fishing quotas in NAFO waters.

The European Council will meet on 26 and 27 June in Madrid. The Council is expected to concentrate on discussion of the Delors report on economic and monetary union, the single market, social and other issues. Further details of the agenda will be decided at the Foreign Affairs Council on 12 and 13 June.