§ Lord Brougham and Vaux asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ What is the forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union for February, and what are the major EU events for the next six months.
§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey:
§ Monthly forecast of business for February 1997
§ The following Councils are scheduled:
- February 1st-2nd: Industry Council (Informal)
- February 5th-6th: Justice & Home Affairs Council (Informal)
- February 17th: Ecofin Council
- February 17th-18th: Agriculture Council
- February 24th-25th: General Affairs Council
- February 28th: Development Aid Council (Informal)
§ The following subjects are likely to be discussed:
- February 1st-2nd: Industry Council (Informal)
§ There is no formal agenda.
§ February 5th-6th: Justice & Home Affairs Council (Informal)
§ There is no formal agenda.
§ February 17th: Ecofin Council
- Draft Directive on taxation of energy products.
- Consideration of Belgian convergence programme (possible item).
- EU Balance of Payments lending to FYROM and the Ukraine (possible item).
- Annual Community Economic report (possible item).
- Solvency ratio Directive for credit institutions—expanded matrix (possible item).
§ February 17th-18th: Agriculture Council
- Beef labelling/Cattle identification.
- Presentation of Commission's proposal on olive oil (possible item).
- Arable penalties (possible item).
- Duram wheat (possible item).
- Geographical designations (possible item).
| Date | Venue | Event |
| February 1997 | ||
| 1st-2nd | The Hague | Industry Council (Informal) |
| 5th-6th | Noordwijk | Justice & Home Affairs Council (Informal) |
| 6th | Brussels | Political Committee & meeting with CEEs Council (Informal) |
| 17th | Brussels | Political Committee & Troika meeting with OAU |
| 17th | Brussels | Ecofin Council |
| 17th-18th | Brussels | Agriculture Council |
| 17th-21st | Strasbourg | European Parliament Plenary |
| 24th-25th | Brussels | General Affairs Council (& IGC Ministerial) |
| 28th | Amsterdam | Development Aid Council (Informal) |
- Protection of forests against fires and atmospheric pollution (possible item).
- Presentation of Commission's proposals on agricultural price fixing (possible item).
- Progress report on veterinary and phytosanitary equivalence agreements and possible adoption of the agreement with the Czech Republic.
- BSE (possible item).
§ February 24th-25th: General Affairs Council
§ First Draft Agenda—likely to change.
- Belarus.
- Ex-Yugoslavia.
- Middle East Peace Process.
- Great Lakes Region.
- Relations with South Africa.
- European Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia.
- Mediterranean Policy:
- Egypt
- Libya
- Palestinian Authority.
- Yemen.
- Relations with Mexico.
- Relations with Australia.
- Transatlantic Relations.
- Relations with Turkmenistan.
- Burma/Myanmar.
- Laos/Cambodia.
- 13th San José Ministerial Conference.
- Association Council with Slovakia.
- Association Council with Bulgaria.
- Association Council with Cyprus.
§ February 28th: Development Aid Council (Informal)
§ There is no formal agenda.
§ European Calendar: February—July 1997
§ This calendar is primarily concerned with European Union matters, but certain other relevant events are also included. Events and dates quoted are based on the information available on the date of issue.
113WA| Date | Venue | Event |
| March 1997 | ||
| 1st-2nd | Amsterdam | Development Aid Council (Informal) |
| 1st-3rd | Amsterdam | Education Council (Informal) |
| 3rd-4th | Brussels | Environment Council |
| 6th | Brussels | Telecommunications Council |
| 10th | Brussels | Internal Market Council |
| 10th-14th | Strasbourg | European Parliament Plenary |
| 11th-12th | Brussels | Transport Council |
| 13th | Brussels | Political Committee |
| l0th-15th | Rotterdam | Social Affairs Council (Informal) |
| 15th-16th | Apeldoorn | Gymnich (Informal) |
| 17th | Brussels | Ecofin Council |
| 17th-19th | Brussels | Agriculture Council |
| 24th-25th | Brussels | General Affairs Council (& IGC Ministerial) |
| April 1997 | ||
| 4th-6th | Noordwijk | Ecofin Council (Informal) |
| 6th-8th | Maastricht | Informal meeting of Cultural Affairs Ministers |
| 7th-10th | Strasbourg | European Parliament Plenary |
| 9th-11th | The Hague | Ministerial Conference on Social Integration |
| 10th | Brussels | Political Committee |
| 10th | Luxembourg | Consumer Council |
| 14th-15th | Luxembourg | Fisheries Council |
| 17th | Luxembourg | Social Affairs Council |
| 18th-19th | Maastricht | Post-Lomé Ministerial meeting |
| 18th-20th | Amsterdam | Environment Council (Informal) |
| 21st-22nd | The Netherlands | Political Committee |
| 21st-22nd | Luxembourg | Agriculture Council |
| 23rd | Brussels | European Parliament Plenary |
| 24th | Luxembourg | Industry Council |
| 24th-25th | Luxembourg | ACP/EU Ministerial Conference |
| 24th-25th | The Hague | International Conference on Innovative Research, and Appropriate Health Care for the People of Europe |
| 24th-26th | The Hague | Ministerial Conference on Trafficking in Women |
| 25th | Brussels | European Parliament Plenary |
| 29th-30th | Luxembourg | General Affairs Council (& IGC Ministerial) |
| May 1997 | ||
| 6th-7th | Strasbourg | Council of Europe Ministerial |
| 12th | Brussels | Ecofin Council |
| 12th-13th | Brussels | Agriculture Council |
| 12th-13th | Paris | WEU Ministerial |
| 12th-16th | Strasbourg | European Parliament Plenary |
| 14th-15th | Brussels | Research Council |
| 15th | Brussels | Political Committee |
| 20th | Brussels | Internal Market Council |
| 22nd | Brussels | Political Committee |
| 25th-27th | Domburg | Agriculture Council (Informal) |
| 26th | Brussels | Energy Council |
| 27th-28th | Brussels | Justice & Home Affairs Council |
| 28th-29th | Brussels | European Parliament Plenary |
| 29th | Brussels | Telecommunications Council |
| June 1997 | ||
| 2nd-3rd | Luxembourg | General Affairs Council (& ICG Ministerial) |
| 5th | Luxembourg | Health Council |
| 5th | Luxembourg | Development Council |
| 5th-6th | The Hague | K4 Committee |
| 9th | Luxembourg | Ecofin Council |
| 9th-l0th | Luxembourg | Agriculture Council |
| 9th-13th | Strasbourg | European Parliament Plenary |
| 10th | Luxembourg | General Affairs Council (tbc) |
| 12th | Luxembourg | Social Affairs Council |
| 16th-17th | Amsterdam | European Council |
| 17th-18th | Luxembourg | Transport Council |
| 19th | Brussels | Political Committee |
| 20th-22nd | Denver | G7 |
| 23rd | Luxembourg | Fisheries Council |
| 23rd-24th | Luxembourg | Environment Council |
| 25th-26th | Brussels | European Parliament Plenary |
| 26th | Luxembourg | Education Council |
| 30th | Luxembourg | General Affairs Council |
| 30th | Luxembourg | Culture Council |
| Date | Venue | Event |
| July 1997 | ||
| 1st | Luxembourg Presidency begins | |
| 7th | Brussels | Ecofin Council |
| 12th-13th | ? | Labour & Social Affairs Council (Informal) |
| 14th-18th | Strasbourg | European Parliament Plenary |
| 22nd | Brussels | Agriculture Council |
| 22nd-23rd | Brussels | General Affairs Council |
| 24th | Budget | Council |