EU Transport Council (Hansard, 19 October 1994)

§ Mr. Lidington
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the result of the Transport Council held in Brussels on 26 September.

§ Mr. Llew Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what matters were discussed, what decisions taken, and which were decided by vote, at the EU Transport Council meeting in Brussels on 26 September.

§ Dr. Mawhinney
The Transport Council met in Brussels on 26 September. I represented the United Kingdom.
The Council reached a common position on a draft directive which lays down uniform procedures for checking lorries carrying dangerous goods.
The Council discussed the texts of two directives on licences for railway operators and the allocation and charging of track capacity. The United Kingdom was successful in limiting the scope to certain types of international services only and protecting the position of the channel tunnel shuttle services. The adoption of a common position is subject to the lifting of the parliamentary scrutiny reserves that I placed.
The Council agreed a resolution on the situation in the European civil aviation industry. I expressed strong concern about the Commission's criteria for allowing state aids and the way in which they have been applied in recent cases. I emphasised that state aid was not acceptable if it maintained over-capacity.
The Council agreed a resolution on the road haulage industry. In particular it asked the Commission to review the standards for access to the road transport operator profession and to report on the training of lorry drivers.
The Council agreed resolutions on transport telematics and structural improvements in inland waterway transport. The Council held a preliminary debate on trans-European networks.
The Council invited the Commission to seek further clarification from the Swiss Government on their plans for implementing the referendum vote to ban lorries from transmitting the country by 2004, and to report at the November Council.
No votes were necessary.