§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many(a) directives and (b) treaties, have been agreed or ratified by (i) the EEC and (ii) the Council of Europe, since 1960.
§ Mr. MaudeDuring the period 1 January 1973 to 15 December 1989, a total of 1,209 directives were adopted and published by the European Community. In the same period, there have been nine treaties revising earlier treaties and Acts relating to the Communities, and the Community has become party to a large number of bilateral and multilateral treaties with third countries and international organisations; these could he quantified only at disproportionate cost. All of these legislative Acts have been published in the Official Journal of the European Communities, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
The Council of Europe does not issue directives or ratify treaties itself. Since 1960, a total of 73 conventions and agreements have opened for signature and ratification by member states of the Council of Europe.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list, by name and in chronological order(a) the directives and (b) the treaties that Her Majesty's Government have initiated and which have been ratified by (i) the EEC and (ii) the Council of Europe since 1979; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MaudeUnder the Community treaties it is for the Commission to initiate proposals for directives and for the ratification of treaties by the Community, and for the Council of Ministers, made up of the representatives of the member states, to decide on those proposals. Nineteen Council of Europe conventions and agreements, set out in the table, have opened for signature by member states.
I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible with details of those initiated by the Government.
- European Convention for the Protection of Animals for Slaughter (1979)
- Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (1979)
- European Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Decisions concerning Custody of Children and on Restoration of Custody of Children (1980)
- European Outline Convention on Transfrontier Co-operation between Territorial Communities or Authorities (1980)
163 - European Agreement on Transfer of Responsibility for Refugees (1980)
- Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data (1981)
- Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons (1983)
- European Convention on the Compensation of Victims of Violent Crimes (1983)
- European Convention on Offences relating to Cultural Property (1985)
- European Convention on Spectator Violence and Misbehaviour at Sports Events and in particular at Football Matches (1985)
- Convention for the Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe (1985)
- European Charter of Local Self-Government (1985)
- European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and other Scientific Purposes (1986)
- European Convention on the Recognition of the Legal Personality of International Non-Governmental Organisations (1986)
- European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals (1987)
- European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1987)
- Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters (1988)
- European Convention on Transfrontier Television (1989)
- Convention on Insider Trading (1989)