§ Dr. SpinkTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the EU Consumers Council held on 9 November. [2231]
§ Mr. Jonathan EvansI represented the United Kingdom at the Council. Political agreement was reached on a compromise text on the comparative advertising directive. The text fully meets United Kingdom objectives and concerns.
There was an orientation debate on the Commission's proposals for a new directive on unit-pricing—the requirement for retailers to indicate the price per unit of measurement. While welcoming the general thrust of the proposal as providing the consumer with an accurate and easily understood price comparison mechanism, I strongly argued that national Governments should be given discretionary power to exempt small shops from unit pricing, gaining support from a number of other member states. On grounds of subsidiarity, there was general support for allowing member states to determine on a national basis whether to exempt specific products from unit pricing; and the unit of measurement by which individual products should be unit priced.
The Council passed a resolution welcoming the Commission's report on the operation of the consumer credit directive and inviting the commission to undertake further study before proposing any further initiatives in this area. It was also agreed that the Commission should undertake studies in co-operation with member states on consumer education and information and on miracle products.
The Commission presented its paper on priorities for consumer policy 1996 to 1998, concentrating on financial services, public utilities, measures to enable the consumer to benefit from the information society, measures to improve consumer confidence in foodstuffs and to encourage sustainable consumption. These proposals will be subject to further consideration.
§ Mr. BarnesTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the EU Consumers Council held on 19 November listing all votes, and all decisions which were determined by unanimity or without discussion. [438]
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§ Mr. Evans[holding answer 20 November 1995]: My answer today to my hon. Friend the Member for Castle Point (Dr. Spink) covered the discussion points at the EU Consumers Council held on 9 November.
The following decisions were adopted without discussion.
Invocation of the urgency procedure for consultation of the European Parliament on a Council decision on the fourth medium-term Community action programme on equal opportunities for men and women; procedure for consultation with the European Parliament delaying the review of tasks by two years until the end of 1997, on developing the European Environment Agency's communication network and on participation of central and eastern European countries in agency's work programme; the recommendation for a Council decision on the participation of the EC in the negotiations on the amendments and adaptations of the Vienna convention and the associated protocol-Montreal protocol—on substances that deplete the ozone layer; and confirmation of replacement of various—non-British—members of the Committee of the Regions.All these decisions were reached by unanimity.