HL Deb 06 February 1992 vol 535 cc19-20WA
Lord Glenarthur

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the forthcoming business in the European Community's Council of Ministers.

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (The Earl of Caithness)

The Foreign Affairs Council met on 3rd February and a statement on its outcome will be made on 10th February.

The Economic and Finance Council will meet on 10th February. Ministers will consider multilateral surveillance of the economies of member states, including the Irish convergence programme, and also the formal adoption of the Commission's annual economic report. The council will also consider aid to central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The council may also consider the revision to the financial perspective for 1992, the investment services directive; and the legislative programme relating to economic and monetary union arising from the treaty on European union. Ministers may also formally adopt the legal text of the draft directive on the commercial movement of excise goods in the single market which they agreed at the Economic and Finance Council on 16th December 1991. It is also expected that Ministers will formally adopt a new regulation for enhanced administrative co-operation between member states. This will provide for the automatic exchange of information between EC tax authorities.

The Agriculture Council will meet on 10th and 11th February. Ministers will discuss reform of the common agricultural policy, agricultural aspects of the GATT Uruguay Round, public health problems affecting the killing of wild game and the marketing of wild game meat.

The Internal Market Council will meet on 25th February. Ministers may consider the final adoption of the public procurement directive for remedies in the utilities sectors, and the adoption of common positions on the third non-life insurance directive. Consolidation directives on tractors and on units of measurement, and a directive on veterinary homeopathic medicines will also be discussed by Ministers.

There may also be further ministerial discussions on frontier controls, and draft legislation on data protection, precursor chemicals, food colourings and food irradiation.