HL Deb 11 February 1992 vol 535 cc27-8WA
Lord Glenarthur

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council held on 3rd February.

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

The Secretary of State and the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs represented the United Kingdom at the Foreign Affairs Council on 3rd February. The Council agreed measures giving the five republics co-operating with Lord Carrington's peace conference (Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia) the trade benefits of the former EC/Yugoslavia Trade and Co-operation Agreement. These benefits will extend until the end of 1992.

The Council agreed at the Secretary of State's suggestion that emergency food should be delivered to cities other than Moscow and St. Petersburg from within the existing EC humanitarian food aid programme for the former Soviet Union. It invited EC Finance Ministers to look at ways of taking forward disbursement of EC food and medical credits for the newly independent states. The Council reviewed the outcome of the Washington Conference on aid to the former Soviet Union and agreed that the follow-up conference in Lisbon should be carefully prepared. The Council agreed a case-by-case approach to negotiating trade and co-operation agreements with the republics of the former Soviet Union and the Baltic states.

The Council reviewed the European Economic Area negotiations in the light of the European Court of Justice's Opinion on the proposed judicial arrangements. The Council reaffirmed the need to bring the negotiations to an early and successful conclusion.

The Council discussed follow-up to the Maastricht Council. It agreed that officials should begin work in Brussels on necessary institutional questions, including establishing the right infrastructure for the provisions in the Treaty on a Common Foreign and Security Policy and on justice and home affairs. The Council agreed to the amendments to the European Coal and Steel Community and European Atomic Energy Communities treaties set out in the relevant articles of the Treaty on Political Union.

The Council discussed the Financial Protocols for Syria and Morocco under the New Mediterranean Policy in the light of the European Parliament's decision to withhold its assent to these protocols. The Commission presented a Communication on export controls on dual-use foods. The Council decided to remit this to the Committee of Permanent Representatives for further examination.

Ministers agreed that the Organisation of American States should be consulted about the possible denuciation of the Lomê Convention with respect to Haiti. An EC/Paraguay Trade and Co-operation Agreement was signed in the margins of the Council. After conciliation with the European Parliament, agreement was reached on the regulations governing the Asia/Latin America Programme and EC/Investment Partners facility.