HL Deb 30 June 1998 vol 591 c65WA
Lord Pearson of Rannoch

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will list the European Union legislative proposals likely to come before the Council in the next year with which they disagree, indicating those which are subject to the national veto, those for which they are confident of securing the necessary majority vote and those which they may have to accept. [HL2364]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

Although the Commission indicates the new legislative initiatives it will be pursuing each year in its Annual Work Programme, there is no exhaustive list of proposals likely to come before the Council in any given period. Moreover, the negotiating period for individual proposals varies enormously. Whether or not the Government support a particular proposal depends on its content. This may well change during the course of negotiations. For that reason, it is also extremely difficult to predict whether a proposal will be supported by other member states.