HC Deb 02 November 1993 vol 231 c93W
Mr. Spearing

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will set out in theOfficial Report either under topic heads related to the responsibilities of Her Majesty's Ministers, or in article order of the latest version of the treaty of Rome, as amendled by both the Single European Act and union treaties, any derogation from its terms applying to the member states of the European Economic Area who are not also member states of the European Community and its associated union.

Mr. Needham

The European economic area agreement does not extend Community policies in the following areas to the European Free Trade Association states which are contracting parties to the EEA: the common commercial policy and the common customs tariff—my Department—the common agricultural policy and the common fisheries policy—Agriculture Ministers—cohesion policy—my Department—and Community financial and fiscal policies—Chancellor of the Exchequer. The EFTA states will not be bound by the provisions of the treaty on European union.

Mr. Spearing

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will ensure that all those matters listed in the proposed new clause 5 to the European Economic Area Bill considered in the House,Official Report, 21 October, columns 467–69, are included in that section of the six-monthly reports to Parliament on European Community affairs which is to be devoted to the European economic area.

Mr. Needham

The section on the European economic area, which is to be included in the six-monthly White Paper "Developments in the European Community", will contain a general account of developments within the EEA, nothing any significant decisions made by the EEA council or the EEA joint committee. This will be supplemented by a further report to Parliament on developments in the EEA in the form of an explanatory memorandum accompanying the annual report of the EEA joint committee on the functioning and development of the EEA agreement, which arises from article 94 of the agreement. Under the terms of the EEA, all decisions of the EEA joint committee will be published, including those extending new legislation to the EFTA states, in a new EEA supplement to theOfficial Journal of the EC. Parliament will already have had an opportunity to consider new provisions to be added to the agreement under scrutiny procedures agreed with the European Legislation Committee.

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