Council of Ministers (Hansard, 1 November 1990)

§ Mr. Garel-Jones

The Development Council will meet on 5 November. Ministers are expected to adopt conclusions arising from a Commission paper on co-operation with the developing countries of Asia and Latin America in the 1990s. The Council will discuss progress on the Lome IV programming exercise which is currently under way and will exchange views on its increasing concern over the situation in the Horn of Africa. Ministers will also discuss the recent review of the tropical forestry action plan.

The Internal Market Council will meet on 8 November to discuss a number of measures relevant to the completion of the single market.

At the Foreign Affairs Council on 12 November Ministers will discuss follow-up action to the special meeting of the European Council held in Rome on 27 and 28 October. The Council will also consider the Commission's proposals for enhancing the Community's relations with Mediterranean countries through a mixture of aid schemes and improved trade and industrial co-operation, and will review progress in the negotiations with EFTA countries on the European economic area, in particular ideas for the industrial framework of the EEA. Ministers may also further discuss implications of German unification, association agreements with east and central European countries, and 10-year guidelines for cooperation with Asian and Latin American countries, and may consider the generalised scheme of preferences scheme in particular for 1991. An informal meeting of the EC/Arab Maghreb Union will be held in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council

The Agriculture Council will meet on 27 November and will discuss the alignment of the Spanish and Portuguese olive oil regimes, and the review of the sugar regime. Other items which may be discussed are the agricultural aspects of German unification, animal welfare standards for pigs and veal calves on the farm, ACP sugar, agriculture and the environment and environmentally sensitive areas, inter-Community trade in fresh poultry meat, meat hygiene aspects of game meat and rabbit meat and plant protection products.

The Budget Council will meet on 16 November to discuss the European Parliament's amendments and modifications to the first reading draft budget.

The Economic and Finance Council will meet on 19 November to discuss the Commission's proposals for extending European investment bank operations to Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and Romania, with a Community guarantee. The Council may also discuss further work on economic and monetary union in preparation for the forthcoming intergovernmental conference and the Commission's proposals for revisions of the financial perspective as a result of German 698W unification and the Gulf crisis. The presidency is expected to submit a report on the progress on discussions of the Commission's VAT and excise technical proposals. Ministers may also discuss the investment services directive—ISD—a market-opening measure designed to give investment firms operating in one member state authority to set up branches and provide services in other member states. The presidency hopes to reach a common position by the end of the year. It is important that the ISD is implemented simultaneously with the capital adequacy directive and second banking co-ordination directive, by 1 January 1993.

At the Culture Council on 19 November Ministers are likely to be asked to reach agreement on proposals for the protection of national art treasures and on vocational training. There will also be a policy discussion of the MEDIA programme, and discussions of the European Cultural Month and copyright.

The Research Council will meet on 20 November and is expected to discuss co-operation with third countries on research; the EC's role in the international thermonuclear experimental reactor programme; the Community fusion programme including the proposed extension of the joint European Torus facility and aspects of the specific programmes under the third framework programme.

The Fisheries Council will meet on 20 November to discuss 1991 price fixing, the common fisheries policy in the Mediterranean, technical measures for conservation of resources, the effects of German unification on the common fisheries policy and fishery and aquaculture structures as defined in regulation 4028/86.

The Civil Protection Council will meet on 23 November to discuss the introduction of a Communitywide standard emergency telephone number. It will further discuss ways of improving mutual aid between member states in the event of a natural or man-made disaster and discuss further Community co-operation on civil protection.

The Labour and Social Affairs Council is expected to meet on 26 November to take forward proposed directives on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos and biological agents, and to discuss a Commission proposal for Community action for the elderly.

The Industry Council scheduled for 26 November is expected to discuss a Commission communication to the Council on industrial policy, a draft directive on aid for the Community shipbuilding industry and the future of national quantitative restrictions after 1992. Ministers are also expected to discuss the Community textile, biotechnology, semi-conductor and handicraft industries, as well as consider the future of the European Coal and Steel Community treaty, the industrial impact of the Uruguay round, a Commission green paper on standards, and small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Telecommunications Council will meet on 27 November. Ministers will discuss the draft directive on telecommunications terminal equipment aimed at establishing mutual recognition of type approval procedures between member states for telecommunications terminal equipment. A common position was adopted by Ministers at the last Telecommunications Council and the draft is now going through the co-operation procedure with the European Parliament. There may also be an orientation debate on an open network provision—ONP—framework directive aimed at defining the terms and conditions under 699W which telecommunications administrations will be required to give access to users of the telecommunications network infrastructure which was adopted at the last Council and which anticipated the application of ONP conditions to leased lines. A formal draft directive on leased lines is still awaited. An orientation debate is also expected on a draft directive on the protection of personal data processed and transmitted over public telecommunications networks which has been adopted by the Commission as part of a general package of measures aimed at approximating the data protection laws of member states. Ministers will also discuss the draft directive and recommendation aimed at establishing the necessary conditions for the commercial exploitation of digital European cordless telephone technology throughout the Community, and a Green Paper on the liberalisation of satellite services which is about to be published by the Commission. There is also likely to be an orientation debate on Commission plans to publish a Green Paper by the end of the year on proposals for a postal policy for Europe aimed at liberalising the provision of postal services.

At the Tourism Council on 29 November Ministers will consider a proposal for a Council decision on developing tourism statistics within the Community, and may consider papers on rural tourism and tourism and the environment.