§ Lord Gainfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council held on 15th June.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)My right honourable friends the Secretary of State and the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs represented the United Kingdom at the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 15th June.
The Council discussed the Commission's future financing proposals. As at the ECOFIN Council on 9th June, a large number of member states expressed serious doubts about the Commission package. The Council had a brief discussion on the administrative arrangements for the proposed new Committee of the Regions established under the Treaty on European Union. Ministers also discussed preparations for the European Council in Lisbon on 26th and 27th June.
The Council considered a communication on Community relations with Japan and adopted conclusions outlining the Community's approach. Ministers issued a declaration on Yugoslavia supporting the UN initiative to reopen Sarajevo airport to allow humanitarian help into Bosnia-Herzegovina. They also endorsed Lord Carrington's continuing peace efforts in Bosnia and urged restraint on Serbs, Albanians and Kosovars to defuse the situation in Kosovo.
The Council discussed the development of the Community's relations with the Maghreb and agreed that Permanent Representatives should examine the question further. The Council considered the Swiss application to join the Community and agreed to refer the application to the Commission for its opinion.