§ Lord Brougham and Vauxasked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the outcome of the Environmental Council on 15 and 16 December 1994.
§ Viscount UllswaterMy right honourable friends the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Minster for the Environment and Countryside attended the Environment Council in Brussels on 15 and 16 December. The Council reached a Common Position on the directive PCBs in a form acceptable to the UK. The Council decided by a qualified majority on a list of hazardous waste as required by Directive 91/689. The UK and Italy voted against because the list contains wastes which, under certain circumstances, are not hazardous, and is thereby contrary to the directive.
Council conclusions were agreed on a Community Strategy to reduce CO2 emissions which, inter alia, reflected the view reached at the European summit at Essen on the possibility of an optional carbon/energy tax. Council conclusions were also agreed on the preparation of an EU position for the first Conference of the Parties to the framework Convention on Climate Change.
During the discussion of the Commission's annual report on the implementation of Community law, my right honourable friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside emphasised the need to consider the effectiveness of existing Community legislation in the real world and suggested that there should be an assessment of each piece of environmental legislation to see how successful it had been in meeting its objectives.
There were helpful discussions to prepare the EU position for the next meeting of the Commission for Sustainable Development and on the draft biocides directive. Council Conclusions were also agreed on Transport and the Environment following a useful debate during which my right honourable friend 56WA highlighted the very positive measures which the UK Government has already taken in this area.