EC Council of Ministers (Hansard, 4 December 1992)

§ Mr. Garel-Jones

The following is the information.

Council of ministers business for December 1992

1. The following meetings are planned:

3 December	:	Labour and Social Affairs Council
7/8 December	:	Transport Council
7 December	:	Foreign Affairs Council
9 December	:	Research Council
14 December	:	Economic and Finance Council
14/15/16 December	:	Agriculture Council
15/16 December	:	Environment Council
17/18 December	:	Internal Market Council
19/20 December	:	Fisheries Council
21 December	:	Foreign Affairs Council

2. The following subjects are likely to be discussed:

(a) Labour and Social Affairs Council—3 December

Proposal for a directive on Health and Safety in the Extractive Industries (Mines and Quarries) (7162/92)
Progress report by the Presidency on Biological Agents (8925/92)
Draft Presidency resolution on Transparency of vocational qualifications (9964/92)
Proposal for a Presidency resolution on tackling unemployment
Proposal for a regulation on a European agency for safety and health at work (9937/92)
Proposal for a regulation and directive on free movement of workers (10239/92)
Progress report by the Presidency on Helios II (8315/92)
Draft Presidency resolution on occupational pensions (9961/92)
Proposal for a directive on posting of workers (8255/92)
Draft Presidency conclusions on Implementation and Enforcement of Community Social Legislation (9963/92)
Proposal for a directive on organisation of working time (possible)

(b) Transport Council—7/8 December

AVIATION AND LAND TRANSPORT ISSUES
Aviation and slot allocation regulation (4496/91; 7810/92)
Aviation external relations
ATM equipment (8420/92)
EUROCONTROL
Commission report on ATC research
Resolution on state aids
Road freight fiscal issues
Road haulage cabotage (10083/91; 4943/92; 5334/92; 7187/92; 7662/92)
Mandate frorinland waterways negotiations (7341/91; 6724/92; 7261/92)
Infrastructure (8065/92) (possible)
Transit agreement with Slovenia
Road safety communication (possible)
Commission report on transport White Paper (possible)

MARITIME ISSUES

Dangerous goods at sea (7074/89; 9793/90)
Shipping (positive measures) (8368/89; 5052/91; 4035/92)
External relations
Terremolinos Convention (7330/92; 9778/92) (possible)
Maritime cabotage (possible)
Commission report on maritime safety (possible)
Commission report on implementation of 1986 maritime package (possible)

Immigration
Enlargement
Nuclear safety in Eastern Europe and Former Soviet Union
Delors II
GATT
Internal frontier controls on people
Former Yugoslavia
Revision of EC defence instruments (anti-dumping etc.)

(d) Research Council—9 December

Supplementary Financing of the Third Framework Programme (1990–1994) (8366/92)
Fourth Framework Programme (1994–1998) (9302/92)
The European Communitty and Space (9599/92)
Paper on EC Framework Programme Management (possible)
International Association for promoting co-operation in the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (8174/92) (possible)

(e) Economic and Finance Council—14 December

Follow-up to the European Council (possible)
CO₂/Energy tax-progress report
Third countries traveller's allowance
Road transport tax
Special VAT arrangements applicable to second-hand goods, works of art, collector's items and antiques
Directive on deposit guarantees (possible)

(f) Agriculture Council—14–15–16 December

Bananas (8372/92; 9023/92; 9421/92; 9432/92; 9953/92)
Milk quota consolidation (8950/1/91; 9280/92; 9994/92)
Italian milk quota (8067/92; 9269/92)
Stickler cow and deseasonalisation premiumk (8846/92; 9972/92)
Potatoes
Sheep meat voluntary restraint agreements
New Zealand butter
Transitional arrangements: Spain Portugal (10181/92)
Agrimonetary regime (7907/92; 9361/92; 9951/92)
Maize and sorghum imports
Fruit and vegetables—amendments to basic regime (9840/92; 10248/92)
GATT beef balance sheets (possible)
GATT—agriculture (oilseeds dispute)
Poultry meat
Zoonoses
Balai (animal products)
Animal welfare
Plant breeder's rights (possible)
Derogations from Directive 92/5 (meat products) (possible)

(g) Environment Council—15/16 December

Van emissions (5777/92)
Fifth Environmental Action Programme (6132/92)
CFCs Regulation/Ozone layer (5762/92)
ECO-audit regulation (5218/92)
Community ratification of Basel Convention (8304/90) (possible)
Packaging (8426/92)
CITES regulation (10500/91) (possible)
Climate change (7569/92)
Implementation and enforcement
European Environment Agency (possible)

(h) Internal Market Council—17/18 December

Proposal for a fund for Customs Agents (8321/92)

(i) Fisheries Council—19/20 December

Fishing opportunities for 1993 including Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and quotas
Fishing in Spanish and Portuguese waters
Fisheries agreements with Norway, Sweden, and Greenland NAFO TACs and quotas
Third country agreement with French Guyana
Community system for fisheries and aquaculture
Accession agreements for Spain and Portugal

(j) Foreign Affairs Council—21 December

Follow-up to European Council
GATT: Uruguay Round and oilseeds (possible)
EC/Morocco
EC/Cyprus Association Council: Approval of Community position
Former Yugoslavia
Other EPC items
EC/Cyprus Association Council (in margins)

3. The Labour and Social Affairs Council will meet on 3 December and will discuss Health and Safety in the Extractive Industries (Mines and Quarries); Biological Agents; Presidency resolution on Transparency of vocational qualifications; Presidency resolution on tackling unemployment; the proposal for a regulation on a European agency for safety and health at work; free movement of workers; Helios II; occupational pensions; posting of workers and implementation and enforcement of Community social legislation. They may also discuss the proposal for a directive on organisation of working time.

4. The Transport Council will meet on 7–8 December and will discuss transport liberalisation issues that have been prominent during the presidency. Ministers will focus on aviation slot allocation; aviation external relations; air traffic control issues; discussions on state aids; road freight fiscal harmonisation; road haulage cabotage; the inland waterways mandate; the mandate for transit negotiations with Slovenia; dangerous goods at sea; positive shipping measures and maritime external relations. They may also discuss post-1992 infrastructure funding and, the Torremolinos Convention. In addition the Commission will be presenting their reports on road safety; the Transport White Paper; maritime safety and the implementation of 1986 maritime package.

5. The Foreign Affairs Council will meet on 7 December. Ministers will discuss immigration; the progress on preparations for enlargement negotiations; nuclear safety in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union; Delors II; recent developments in the GATT negotiations; internal frontier controls on people; the former Yugoslavia, and the revision of EC defence instruments. A conclave of Foreign Ministers will meet on 8 December to discuss ratification of the Maastricht treaty, subsidiarity and openness, in preparation for the European Council.

6. The Research Council will meet on 9 December and will discuss supplementary financing of the third framework programme (1990–94); the Commission's working document for the fourth framework programme (1994–98) and the European Community and space. Programme management and the International Association for promoting co-operation in the Independent States of the former Soviet Union may also be discussed.

7. The Economic and Finance Council will meet on 14 December to discuss matters arising from the European Council on 11 December. The directive on deposit guarantees may also he discussed. This draft directive is a priority under the United Kingdom Presidency and we hope that a political agreement can be reached by the end of the year. The Council 440W will also discuss the Commission's proposal for a CO2/Energy tax; Third Countries Travellers Allowance; VAT arrangements for second-hand goods and Road Transport taxation.

8. The Agriculture Council will meet on 14, 15 and 16 December. Ministers will discuss bananas; the agrimonetary system; the agricultural aspects of the GATT negotiations; milk quota consolidation; Italian milk quotas; suckler cow premium; potatoes; sheep meat voluntary restraint agreements; New Zealand butter; transitional arrangements for Spain and Portugal; amendments to the fruit and vegetables regime; poultry meat; zoonoses; Balai (animal products); and animal welfare and exotic diseases. They may also discuss beef tariff quotas; plant breeders' rights and meat products.

9. The Environment Council will meet on 15 and 16 December. It is hoped that agreement will be reached on a directive to tighten emission limits from vans; a Council resolution on the Commission's fifth action programme on the environment; a regulation introducing a Community eco-auditing scheme and an amended regulation bringing forward the phase out dates for CFCs and other ozone depleting substances. The Council will also discuss the proposed directive on packaging and packaging waste; controls on trade in endangered species (CITES), and measures on climate change. A report on implementation and enforcement of Community environmental law will also be tabled by the Commission for discussion by Ministers at Council.

10. The Internal Market Council will meet on 17 and 18 December to discuss the proposal for a fund for Customs agents. The remainder of the agenda is not yet known.

11. The Fisheries Council is due to meet on 19 and 20 December. Fisheries Ministers may discuss fishing opportunities for 1993 including total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas; fishing arrangements for European Community vessels to fish Spanish and Portuguese waters; fisheries agreements with Norway, Sweden and Greenland; the NAFO TACs and quotas; the third country agreement with French Guyana; the European Community system for fisheries and aquaculture and accession arrangements for Spain and Portugual.

12. The Foreign Affairs Council will meet on 21 December to discuss the follow-up to the European Council; EC/Morocco; the former Yugoslavia and any other EPC items. The GATT: Uruguay round and oilseeds may also be discussed. The EC/Cyprus Association Council will be held in the margins.