§ Lord Stoddart of Swindonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What matters relating to Antarctica are within the competence of the European Community; and when such competence was agreed by them and by Parliament.
The Earl of CaithnessThe EC's competence relating to Antarctica is confined to fisheries matters. The EC is a party to the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which was laid before Parliament in the usual way prior to ratification by the United Kingdom in 1981. EC competence in relation to fisheries derives from the Treaty of Rome.
Within the context of CCAMLR the UK retains responsibility regarding the resources within and adjacent to the territorial waters of the Dependent Territories of South Georgia, the South Sandwich Islands and the British Antarctic Territory.