§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements exist for the representation of the European Commission on the body known as steering group I which reports to the article K4 committee under the intergovernmental co-operation procedures; and what opportunities will exist for the examination of the work of steering group I by the European and United Kingdom Parliaments.
§ Mr. Charles WardleThe European Commission is fully associated with work under title VI of the treaty on European Union, and its representatives attend all meetings of steering group I.
The Government have put forward proposals for parliamentary scrutiny by the United Kingdom Parliament of the work carried out under title VI which includes that carried out by steering group I.
175WArticle K6 of the treaty sets out the basis on which the European Parliament will be informed and consulted on the work carried out under title VI.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if articles of the main agreement establishing the European Economic Area which extend the right of free movement to nationals of Austria, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden are directly enforceable; and what plans he has to allow them to be relied upon as a basis for legal actions in the United Kingdom courts.
§ Mr. Charles WardleSince 1 January 1994, when the European Economic Area agreement came into force, nationals of Austria, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden have been treated in the same way as European Community nationals for immigration purposes. An Order in Council section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972, the Immigration (European Economic Area) Order 1994, will shortly be laid before Parliament in order to transpose into United Kingdom law the relevant European Community directives relating to the rights of free movement and residence for European Economic Area nationals.