§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the results of the meeting of the interior Ministers of the member states of the European Union treaty in Thessalonika, Greece on 6 and 7 May.
§ Mr. Charles WardleI refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave him on 18 May,Official Report, column 461.
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§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what agenda has been proposed for the next meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Ministers of the member states of the European Union meeting in accordance with title VI of the European Union treaty on 20 and 21 June in Greece.
§ Mr. Charles WardleThe meeting took place on 20 June in Luxembourg. It was the third Justice and Home Affairs Council held under the provisions of the treaty on European Union. The main points dealt with by the Council were as follows:
The Council adopted the resolution on limitations on admission of third-country nationals to the member states for employment.
The Council expressed its appreciation for the Commission's communication on immigration and asylum policies and undertook to consider the possibility of including in a forthcoming work programme those aspects of the proposals which fall within title VI of the treaty on European Union.
The Council agreed the selection of consultants to undertake a study of users' requirements for EURODAC, the proposed automated fingerprinting system for asylum applicants.
The Council approved the budget for the European Drugs Unit for 1995. It appointed Mr. Jurgen Storbeck as director of the Europol Drugs Unit and decided to extend the temporary appointment of Mr. Willy Bruggeman, the acting assistant director, for a further six months.
The Council noted progress on the Europol convention, and commissioned further work by officials on the outstanding points.
The Council invited officials to continue their work on the customs information system convention with a view to its being concluded as quickly as possible. The Council agreed that the incoming German presidency would inform the European Parliament about the main elements of the draft convention. It also discussed progress on the European information system convention.
The Council heard presentations from the Commission on its overall strategy to combat drugs, and on its proposals on the legal protection of the Community's financial interests. The Council agreed that work on fraud should proceed on the basis of both the joint action proposed by the United Kingdom in March and the Commission's proposals.
The Council considered means of carrying on contracts with certain third countries on title VI matters. Officials were instructed to continue work in this area, with a view to agreement being reached by the end of the German presidency.
The Council agreed that work should proceed on the extension of the Brussels convention to matters of family and succession law.
The Council heard a report from the presidency which summarised the current status of work on extradition.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide a list of the formal meetings at which representatives of the British Government have attended in accordance with article K3 of the European Union treaty since the coming into force of that treaty together with the subject matter under consideration at the meeting and the title of the official representing the British Government.
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§ Mr. Charles WardleI refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 16 May,Official Report, columns 339–40.