§ Sir Jim SpicerTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the outcome of the recent European Council of Transport Ministers meeting in Luxembourg; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ParkinsonI was pleased that the Council reached agreement on a new directive to ban the addition of certain types of older, and noisier, jet aircraft to Community fleets. This is a useful step in the process of moving towards an era of quieter aircraft.
The Council also agreed, subject to receiving the opinion of the European Parliament, to a regulation removing recommended road haulage tariffs between 95W member states. We welcome this as part of the process of abolishing tariffs and reducing bureaucracy across the Community.
There was discussion but no agreement on the Commission's proposals for shipping "positive measures"; a proposed short-term road haulage cabotage experiment; a draft directive on training for drivers of dangerous goods vehicles; a proposal by the Commission for a programme of transport infrastructure funding; and fiscal harmonisation in road haulage. The Commission reported the current position in the Community's negotiations with Austria, Switzerland and Yugoslavia. Notes by the Presidency presented proposals on road safety, and on the development of railways in the Community.
I also attended an informal meeting of the Council in Paris on 6 October which was mainly devoted to a discussion of the Commission's recent proposals in the field of aviation.