HC Deb 10 January 1996 vol 269 cc240-1W
Mr. Riddick

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the result of the Transport Council held in Brussels on 7 and 8 December 1995. [8944]

Sir George Young

The Transport Council met in Brussels on 7 and 8 December. My noble Friend the Minister for Aviation and Shipping represented the United Kingdom.

The Council reached a common position on a directive to introduce greater competition in ground handling services at European Community airports. The directive includes a provision suspending its application to Gibraltar until arrangements agreed between the UK and Spain in 1987 in relation to Gibraltar airport have been implemented. The UK will enter a statement in the Council minutes emphasising that in principle the directive applies to Gibraltar, and that the suspension does not affect the position on sovereignty over the territory in which the airport is situated.

The Council also reached a common position on a directive allowing member states to issue driving licences in the form of a plastic card. The Council accepted an amendment, proposed by the UK, which reserves space in the licence for member states to record information of their own. The amendment would make it possible for the driving licence, with additional identity information, to be used as a voluntary identity card in the UK, although the Government have not yet taken any decision on this issue.

The Council agreed to amend the regulation governing state aids for combined transport, extending its application until the end of 1997.

The Council agreed conclusions noting a communication from the Commission on a package of measures to reform the inland waterways industry in the Community.

The Council agreed mandates for the Community to negotiate a road goods transport agreement with Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania, and a road passenger transport agreement with up to 14 central and eastern European states.

The Council reached political agreement on a directive to provide a framework for harmonising the standards applying to safety and environmental protection equipment carried by merchant ships for EC member states. This will help to improve safety and promote a single market for marine equipment.

The Council adopted a resolution on measures to promote short sea shipping and related ports services.

The Commission reported that the Council on the impact of the regulation and maritime cabotage adopted by the Council in 1992.

The Council discussed the conclusions of the recent International Maritime Organisation conference on ferry safety. The UK and other member states welcomed an invitation from Sweden to a meeting next month to secure higher safety standards for roll-on roll-off ferries in north-west Europe.

Other issues raised at the Council included air transport relations with the United States, on which the Commission gave an initial presentation of the economic analysis requested at the June 1995 meeting of the Transport Council.

The only vote at the Council was on the ground-handling directive, which Germany and Austria opposed.