HL Deb 20 May 1993 vol 545 cc95-6WA
Lord Mountevans

asked Her Majesty's Government:

If they will report on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council held on 10th–11th May.

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)

My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary attended the Foreign Affairs Council on 10th May with my right honourable friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mr. Garel-Jones. My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mr. Hogg, represented the United Kingdom on 11th May.

The Council approved the EC/US agreement on government procurement reached on 19th April. The Council also agreed a resolution on trade and the environment proposed by the Danish Presidency in advance of the OECD Ministerial meeting on 2nd June.

The noble Lord, Lord Owen, briefed Ministers on recent developments in the Former Yugoslavia. They agreed on the importance of continued support for the Vance-Owen Peace Plan. The Twelve should maintain pressure for the closure of the Serbia/Bosnia border and be ready to contribute to international monitoring of it. Other options should not be excluded. Ministers also agreed on the crucial importance of rigorous implementation of the sanctions regime.

The Council agreed that the Presidency should discuss with the European Parliament arrangements for an inter-institutional meeting on 7th June, with the aim of concluding an inter-institutional agreement on subsidiarity and of agreeing arrangements for the European Parliamentary Ombudsman. The Council also agreed that a paper presented by the Commission on access to information held by the Community institutions was a good basis for further work. It asked the Committee of Permanent Representatives to take this forward.

Ministers discussed progress in the enlargement negotiations with Austria, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

The Commission reported on the latest round of negotiations, held in St. Petersburg on 6th–7th May, for a partnership and co-operation agreement with Russia.

The Council discussed the Commission's paper for the Copenhagen European Council on strengthening relations with the Central European Associate Countries. There will be further discussion at the Foreign Affairs Council on 8th June.

An EC/Gulf Co-operation Council ministerial meeting was held in the margins of the Council on 11th May.

No formal votes were taken at the Council.