§ Mr. SumbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Internal Market Councils held on 17 September and 9 October.
§ Mr. RedwoodI represented the United Kingdom at the Internal Market Councils on 17 September and 9 October.
On 17 September the Council adopted the utilities directive, which sets rules to prevent restrictive purchasing policies by utilities, and a regulation on Community transit, which will facilitate trade across borders after 1992. Three amendments were adopted to technical directives on electrically operated lifts, electrical equipment for use in explosive atmospheres, and simple pressure vessels. The Council also took note of a progress report on the infrastructure networks needed for the completion of the single market, and held preliminary discussions on data protection, and on a framework directive to provide a single authorisation to do non-life insurance business in 838W the Community. On food labelling, the Council adopted a directive on optional food labelling, and held a discussion on the prospects for compulsory food labelling.
On 9 October the Council agreed two amendments on dangerous substances, one on the classification, packaging and labelling of dichloromethane, the other on the marketing and use of pentachlorophenol. Vice-President Bangemann presented to the Council the Commission's green paper on European standards. The Council also discussed trade in works of art, the handling of company law directives, and the Commission's latest figures on the implementation of single market measures.