§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the presidency of the inter-governmental conference of the European Union concerning the provisional pre-signature text of the draft Amsterdam treaty; by what procedures each item in the presidency draft was considered; if written copies of amendments were circulated prior to decisions on the amendments; and what period of notice for(a) verbal and (b) oral amendments was required by the conference. [6628]
Mr. HendersonDiscussions on the draft Amsterdam treaty text are continuing in Brussels, both among the 15 member states, and bilaterally with the Presidency and former Presidency.
The terms of the Presidency text were discussed at the European Council at Amsterdam. In many cases written amendments were circulated. In others amendments were discussed orally by Heads of Government. There was no period of notice required by the conference.