§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the criteria to be adopted to judge whether environmental difficulties arising from the economic area agreement are persistent; and how intervention will be judged as appropriate, in regard to the safeguard measures set out in article 112 of the "Agreement on the European Economic Area", Cm. 2073.
§ Mr. MacleanDecisions on environmental difficulties which might arise under the agreement would need to be addressed in the light of the circumstances at the time.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he intends to take as President of the European Environment Council to achieve the objectives set out in article 73 of the "Agreement on the European Economic Area", Cm. 2073.
§ Mr. MacleanThe Government strongly support the objectives set out in article 73, which reflects paragraph 1 of article 130R of the treaty of Rome. However, since the agreement on the european economic area has not yet entered into force, and will not do so during the United Kingdom presidency, there is no role for my right hon. and learned Friend under the agreement in his capacity as President of the Environment Council.