§ Mr. RobathanTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what response has been received from European Commissioners and the German Economics Minister to his concerns over the impact of the German packaging regulations on the United Kingdom recycling industry; and what further action may be taken to alleviate the difficulties being experienced by some sectors.
§ Mr. EggarThe European Commission responded on 17 May to my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade's letter about the German packaging regulations. The Commission shared the United Kingdom's concerns, hoped for progress on the proposed directive on packaging and packaging waste as a way of alleviating some aspects of the problem, and referred to a meeting of a group of experts to discuss the general question of packaging waste management on 4 June.
Officials from the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of the Environment visited Bonn for discussions of the German packaging ordinance on 18 May. I hope that it will be possible for the German Economics Minister, Dr. Rexrodt, to respond positively to my right hon. Friend's letter in the light of those discussions.