Amsterdam Treaty (Hansard, 4 November 1997)

§ Mr. Howard
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the additional powers gained by the European Parliament as a result of the treaty of Amsterdam. [14412]

§ Mr. Doug Henderson
I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for South-West Devon (Mr. Streeter) on 18 July,Official Report, column 361.

§ Mr. Streeter
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what additional legislation will be required in the United Kingdom to implement the provisions of article 141 of the treaty establishing the European Community, as amended by the treaty of Amsterdam, relating to equal pay for work of equal value; and if he will make a statement.[14310]

§ Mr. Doug Henderson
The amendments to the EC Treaty provided for in the treaty of Amsterdam will be implemented in the UK by the European Communities (Amendment) Bill.

§ Mr. Streeter
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has consulted other departments in assessing the legal implications of article 137 of the treaty establishing the European Community as amended by the Amsterdam treaty as concerns increased litigation in the areas so covered. [14270]

§ Mr. Doug Henderson
All Government departments with an interest were involved in preparing our negotiating position for Amsterdam.

§ Mr. Streeter
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals are currently being prepared at European Union level to assist harmonisation in the fields of the promotion of(a) employment (b) improved living conditions and (c) improved working conditions, under article 136 of the treaty establishing the European Community, as amended by the treaty of Amsterdam. [14312]

§ Mr. Doug Henderson
No proposals are planned under article 136.

§ Mr. Howard
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if decisions to impose sanctions under the common foreign and security policy of the European Union under the provisions of the Amsterdam treaty will be taken by qualified majority voting. [14410]

§ Mr. Doug Henderson
Under the Amsterdam treaty unanimity will remain the general rule for decision making in the common foreign and security policy, including for the imposition of any sanctions. However, the treaty also provides for the Council to act by qualified 173W majority when taking decisions based on a common strategy, or when implementing a joint action or common position. But any member state may block such a decision for important and stated reasons of national policy.

§ Mr. Howard
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the status of the agreement on quota hopping reached at the Amsterdam summit. [14407]

§ Mr. Doug Henderson
In an exchange of letters at Amsterdam between my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and the President of the European Commission, the Commission set out measures we can take to address the problem of quota hopping. The Commission confirmed that the UK can require UK-flagged vessels to demonstrate that their activities contribute substantial economic benefits for populations dependent on fishing and related industries in the UK. Fisheries departments are currently working up a package of measures based on the Commission guidance in consultation with the fishing industry.

§ Mr. Streeter
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the institutions referred to as management and labour in section 4 of article 137 and section 1 of article 139 of the treaty establishing the European Community as amended by the Amsterdam treaty, include institutions other than the Social Partners; and if he will make a statement.[14311]

§ Mr. Doug Henderson
Social partners is simply another way of describing representatives of management and labour.

§ Mr. Streeter
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held with other departments on article 140 of the treaty establishing the European Community, as amended by the treaty of Amsterdam; what reservations were expressed; what study is currently being undertaken on projects to be undertaken under this article; and if he will make a statement. [14309]

§ Mr. Doug Henderson
All Government Departments with an interest were involved in preparing our negotiating position for Amsterdam and were content that we should agree article 140 (ex article 118c). Article 140 is not yet in force and no projects under it are planned.

§ Mr. Streeter
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what cost-benefit analysis he has undertaken of programmes planned to be introduced under article 137 of the treaty establishing the European Community, as amended by the Amsterdam treaty. [14313]

§ Mr. Doug Henderson
Article 137 is not yet in force. But it is likely that measures under discussion under article 2 of the agreement on social policy when the Amsterdam treaty came into force would subsequently come under article 137. The costs and benefits of any such proposals would be assessed in the normal way.