Council of Ministers (Hansard, 3 March 1993)

§ Mr. Garel-Jones

The following meetings are planned:

2 March—Consumer Affairs Council
8 to 9 March—Foreign Affairs Council
15 March—Economic and Finance Council
15 March—Transport Council
16 to 17 March—Agriculture Council
18 March—Fisheries Council
22 to 23 March—Environment Council

The following subjects are likely to be discussed:

(a) Consumer Affairs Council—2 March

Directive on unfair terms in consumer contracts
Directive on protection of purchasers of timeshares
Future action on labelling of products
Community system on information on accidents
Exchange of information on products which may jeopardise consumer health or safety
Action plan for consumer policy (1990–92)
Proposal for an EC Directive on Comparative advertising amending Directive 84/450/EEC concerning misleading advertising

(b) Foreign Affairs Council—8 to 9 March

Relations with Central and Eastern Europe
Association Agreement with Bulgaria
EEA—Protocol of adaptation
Cohesion Fund
Former Yugoslavia
GATT and other trade issues
Commercial Defence Instruments
FSU Textiles Agreement

(c) Economic and Finance Council—15 March

Annual Economic Report and national actions to promote economic recovery in Europe
Convergence programme for Greece (possible)
Carbon/Energy taxation
Progress report
Report of the Court of Auditors for 1991
Travellers' allowances

(d) Transport Council—15 March

Debate on Transport White Paper (11011/92)

Aviation

External relations (5080/90) (4146/93)
Computer reservation systems
Air traffic management equipment and systems (8420/92)

Land Transport

Transport Infrastructure Programme (1993–1994) (8065/92) (10437/92)

Trans European Networks:

Guidance for roads (8065/92)
Inland waterways (8065/92)
Combined transport (8066/92)
Fiscal harmonisation (heavy goods vehicles)
Road haulage cabotage (10038/91) (4943/92) (5334/92) (7662/92) (8315/92) (10855/92) (10881/92)
Transport agreement with Slovenia (5033/93)
Transport of dangerous goods (4954/93)
Road transport external relations (11234/92)

Maritime Transport

Maritime safety communication
Aviation agreement with Switzerland (possible)
Inland waterway external relations (possible)

(e) Agriculture Council—16–17 March

Price fixing proposals (Com(93) 36)
Milk quotas
GATT Agriculture
Processed tomatoes (10485/92; 4185/93)
Greek tobacco (possible)
Potatoes (possible) (10483/92; 4613/93)

(f) Fisheries Council—18 March

Control system for the Common Fisheries Policy (9019/92)
Spanish/Portuguese Accession (4158/93)
Harmonised technical conservation measures in the Mediterranean (11229/92)
High seas fisheries (possible)
Market situation of fisheries products
European fisheries research (possible)
Third country agreements (possible)

(g) Environment Council—22–23 March

ECO Audit regulation (5218/92)
CO2 monitoring decision (7569/92)
Carbon/ Energy tax (7018/92)
Ratification of Climate Change Convention (11233/92)
Ratification of Biodiversity Convention (4593/93)
Volatile Organic Compounds emissions directive (VOCS) (Stage I) (8348/92)
Hazardous waste incineration directive (5761/92)
CITES regulation (10500/91)
Emissions from motor vehicles (4142/93)

The Consumer Affairs Council will meet on 2 March. The directive on unfair terms in consumer contracts will be discussed by Ministers in the hope that it may be adopted. Discussion will also focus on: a directive on the protection of purchasers of timeshares; future action on the labelling of products; the possible extension of the European home and leisure accident surveillance systems (EHLASS) for a further five years; the exchange of information on products which may jeopardise consumer health or safety and the action plan for consumer policy (1990–92). The proposal for an EC directive on comparative advertising, on subsidiarity grounds, will also be discussed by the Council.

The Foreign Affairs Council will meet on 8 and 9 March. The Council will discuss the EC's relations with central and east European countries and sign an association agreement with Bulgaria. Ministers will be asked to agree a protocol of adaptation to the EEA agreement which would allow it to come into force without Switzerland. Ministers will than discuss the cohesion fund; former Yugoslavia; progress on the GATT negotiations; Commercial defence instruments and a textiles agreement with former Soviet Union states.

The Economic and Finance Council will meet on 15 March, when Ministers will consider formal adoption of the Commission's annual economic report. Further discussion will take place on actions to promote economic recovery in the Community and there is also expected to be a brief discussion of a progress report on the Commission's proposal for carbon/energy tax. The Council will examine the report of the Court of Auditors on the 1991 budget with a view to making a recommendation to the European Parliament on giving the Commission a discharge with respect to the implementation of the 1991 budget. Ministers may also discuss the economic convergence programme for Greece and increases in the current allowances for travellers from third countries.

The Transport Council will meet on 15 March. The Council will discuss aviation external relations and trans-European network guidelines. Other subjects for discussion by Ministers include: the transport infrastructure programme; inland waterways and combined transport; road freight fiscal harmonisation; road haulage cabotage; the transport of dangerous goods; road transport external relations and the transport agreement with Slovenia. Additional aviation items include: computer reservation systems and air traffic management equipment and systems. Ministers may also discuss inland waterway external relations and a proposed aviation 141W agreement with Switzerland. There will also be a Commission presentation on the maritime safety communication.

The Agricultural Council will meet on 16 and 17 March. Ministers will discuss the 1993–94 price-fixing proposals; milk quotas; the agricultural aspects of the GATT negotiations and processed tomatoes. They may also discuss Greek tobacco and the review of the potato regime.

The Fisheries Council is due to meet on 18 March. Ministers will discuss the proposed control and enforcement regulation; review of the accession arrangements for Spain and Portugal; harmonised technical conservation measures in the Mediterranean and the market situation for fisheries products. They may also discuss the Community policy on high seas fishing; European fisheries research and negotiating mandate for a fisheries agreement with the Russian Federation.

The Environment Council will meet on 22 and 23 March, when Ministers hope to reach agreement on the ECO-audit regulation, the volatile organis compounds (Stage 1) emissions directive, the CO2 monitoring decision and ratification of the climate change convention. The Council will also discuss: carbon/energy tax; ratification of the biodiversity convention; the hazardous waste incineration directive and the CITES regulation. The Commission will present its communication on marine pollution and may make presentations on substances that deplete the ozone layer (hydrochlorofluorocarbons and methyl bromide) and emissions from motor vehicles.