HL Deb 30 November 1998 vol 595 cc7-13WA
Lord Hughes of Woodside

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will list the forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union for December; and list the major European Union events for the next six months. [HL95]

Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale

See below.

Forecast of Business: December
Date Location Event
December 1998
1 Brussels Transport Council (continuation from 30 November)
1 Brussels ECOFIN Council

Forecast of Business: December
Date Location Event
1–2 Brussels Social Affairs Council
1 Brussels Joint meeting of the ESA and ECOFIN Councils
3–4 Brussels Justice & Home Affairs Council
4 Brussels Education Council
7 Brussels Internal Market Council
7–8 Brussels General Affairs Council
10 Brussels Research Council
11–12 Vienna European Council
14–16 Brussels Agriculture Council
17–18 Brussels Fisheries Council
21 Brussels Environment Council

The following subjects are likely to be discussed:

  • December 1: ECOFIN Council
    • Employment
    • Preparation for Stage 3 of EMU
    • Follow-up to the declaration of 2 May
    • Stability and convergence programmes
    • Agenda 2000
    • Taxes
  • December 1: Joint Meeting of the Social Affairs and ECOFIN Councils
    • Report from the Presidency
    • Commission first draft of the 1999 Employment Guidelines (debate)
    • Joint report on Employment 1998 (adoption)
  • December 1 and 2: Social Affairs Council
    • Report from the Presidency on the preparation of the European Council (Vienna)
    • Commission first draft of the 1999 Employment Guidelines
    • Joint Report on Employment 1998 (debate)
    • Employment Rates Report
    • Draft Council Directive on employee involvement within the European Company—political agreement
    • Follow-up to the Beijing Conference on Women (The Council will take note of the annual Report)
    • Second phase of the Community vocational training programme Leonardo Da Vinci (legal basis: Article 127) (oral report from the Presidency)
    • Extension of 1408/71 (students and other insured persons) (political agreement)
    • Amended proposal for a Directive on the protection of workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres (legal basis: Article 118A) (political agreement)
    • Proposal for a Council Decision relating to the Conclusion of an agreement between the EC and the Council of Europe (European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia) (legal basis: Article 7(3) of Council Regulation No. 1035/97) (political agreement)
      • WA 9
    • Amended proposal for a Council Directive amending for the second time Directive 90/394/EEC on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens at work (legal basis: Article 118A TEC) (political agreement)
    • Mid-term report on the Community programme concerning safety, hygiene and health at work (1996–2000) (debate)
    • Amended proposal for a decision on the promotion of European pathways for work-linked training, including apprenticeships (legal basis: Article 127) (political agreement)
  • December 3 and 4: Justice & Home Affairs Council
    • Convention and protocol
    • Action plan to create an area of liberty, security and justice
    • Preparations for the entry into force of Amsterdam
    • Legal action on European solidarity
    • European migration strategy
    • Regulation on countries subject to visas
    • Enlargement: evaluation
    • Determination and classification of the Schengen legal situation
    • Incorporation of the Schengen information system in the EU legal framework
    • Progress report on work on the Convention on the admission of third-country nationals
    • Council Decision on monitoring the implementation of the instruments adopted in the field of asylum
    • Joint action on the approximation of legislation to combat counterfeiting (adoption)
    • Explanatory report on the Second Protocol to the Convention on the protection of financial interests (adoption)
    • Joint action on money laundering and confiscation
    • Joint action on combating corruption in the private sector (if not adopted in September)
    • Convention on mutual assistance in criminal matters
    • Revision of the Brussels and Lugano Conventions (progress report)
    • Rome II: Convention on the law applicable to non-contractual obligations (progress report)
    • Implementation of the CIS Convention
    • Driving disqualifications: explanatory report
    • Implementation of the joint action on synthetic drugs
    • Implementation of the joint action on the approximation of drug laws
    • Ratification of previous conventions (appeal to the member states in line with recommendations 13 and 14 of the Action Plan and Cardiff follow-up)
      • WA 10
    • Start-up report
    • Decision extending the mandate to terrorism
    • Document on the threat posed by terrorism
    • IRAQ: final report
    • Expert working party report on best practice
    • Report on measures to combat counterfeiting of the EURO
    • Council Resolution on the prevention of organised crime with reference to the establishment of a comprehensive strategy for combating it: adoption
    • OC annual report
    • Report to the European Council on implementation of the action plan to combat OC
    • Report on implementation of the Resolution on hooligans
    • Report on implementation of the Resolution of 18 December 1997 on priorities in the fields of justice and home affairs from 1 January 1998 until the entry into force of the Amsterdam Treaty
  • Article 18—Committee meeting (possible)
  • December 4: Education Council
    • Proposal for a European Parliament and Council decision establishing the second phase of the Community action programme "Socrates" (possible common position)
    • Second phase of the Community vocational training programme Leonardo Da Vinci (legal basis: Article 127) (possible common position)
    • Proposal for a Council decision adopting the third phase of the trans-European co-operation scheme for higher education (Tempus III) (possible adoption)
    • (Possible.) Action plan for the implementation of the Green Paper "Educational, vocational training, research: obstacles to transnational mobility" (presentation by the Commission)
    • (Possible.) Proposal for a Council recommendation on the statute of mobile students (included the transfer of Scholarships) (presentation by the Commission)
    • Report by the Commission on the implementation of pilot projects in the context of the objectives of the White Paper on education and training, "teaching and learning: towards the learning society" (presentation by the Commission and debate)
    • 1999 National Employment Action Plans (debate)
  • December 7: Internal Market Council
    • European Company Statute
    • Free Movement of Goods Intervention Mechanism
    • Proposal for an amending Directive concerning liability for defective products
    • Internal Market and Cardiff process of economic reform—presidency report
    • Proposal for a directive on certain legal aspects of electronic commerce (presentation by the Commission)
    WA 11
  • December 7–8: General Affairs Council
    • Agenda 2000
    • Enlargement
    • Preparation of Amsterdam Treaty Implementation Russia
    • Human Rights: 50th Anniversary Celebration 10 December (possible)
    • Preparation of the Vienna European Council
    • Asylum and Immigration Task Force
    • Council Working Methods
    • Western Balkans
    • Middle East Peace Process
    • Cuba
    • South Africa
    • Switzerland
    • Draft Regulation GSP for 1999–2000
    • Transatlantic Relations
  • December 10: Research Council
    • (Possible.) Fifth EC RTD Framework programme (final adoption)
    • (Possible.) Fifth Euratom Research Framework programme (final adoption)
    • (Possible.) Fifth EC and Euratom Framework programmes—Specific programmes (final adoption)
    • (Possible.) International Co-operation (possible signature/conclusion of agreements with pre-accession CEECs and Cyprus, and other third countries)
  • December 11–12: European Council
    • No agenda yet available
  • December 14–16: Agriculture Council
    • No agenda yet available
  • December 17–18: Fisheries Council
    • Proposal for a Regulation setting TACs and Quotas for 1999 and related legislation (adoption)
    • (Possible.) The Future of the Common Fisheries Policy (2002) (oral report by the Commission)
    • Council Regulation on the common organisation of the markets in the fisheries sector (presentation by the Commission)
    • (Possible.) Funding of the collection of data of the common fisheries policy (presentation by the Commission)
    • Modification of Regulation 3699 on Structural Funds for Fisheries (IFOP) (presentation by the Commission)
  • December 21: Environment Council
    • (Possible.) Draft proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and the Council amending directive 88/77/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the member states relating to the measures to be taken against the emission of gaseous and particulate pollutants from diesel WA 12 engines for use in vehicles (heavy goods vehicles) (common position)
    • Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive amending Directive 90/220/EEC on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms (political agreement: EP Opinion expected in February)
    • (Possible.) Proposal for a Council Directive on ozone-depleting substances (common position)
    • Proposal for a Council Decision on the monitoring of CO2 emissions from passenger cars in the Community (common position)
    • Proposal for a Council Directive on the labelling of fuel consumption of passenger cars (common position)
    • Community strategy on climate change: follow-up to the Buenos Aires (Council conclusions)
    • Proposal for a Council Directive on "end-of-life vehicles" (common position)

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.

European Calendar: December 1998—May 1999
Date Location Event
December 1998
1 Brussels ECOFIN Council
1 Brussels Transport Council
1 Brussels Social Affairs and ECOFIN Council
1 Vienna Parliamentary Heads
2 Brussels Social Affairs Council
2–3 Brussels European Parliament Plenary
3–4 Brussels Justice & Home Affairs Council
4 Brussels Education Council
7 Brussels Political Committee
7 Brussels Internal Market Council
7–8 Brussels General Affairs Council
10 Brussels Research Council
11 Vienna Political Committee
11–12 Vienna European Council
14–16 Brussels Agriculture Council
14–18 Strasbourg European Parliament Plenary
17–18 Brussels Fisheries Council
21 Brussels Environment Council
January 1999
1 Brussels ECOFIN
11–15 Strasbourg European Parliament Plenary
14 Brussels Fisheries Council (possible)
18–19 Brussels Agriculture Council
18 Brussels ECOFIN
19 Brussels Agriculture Council
25 Brussels Political Committee
25–26 Brussels General Affairs Council
27–28 Brussels European Parliament Plenary

European Calendar: December 1998-May 1999
Date Location Event
February 1999
4–6 Bonn Ministers for Labour & Social Affairs (Informal)
8 Brussels ECOFIN
8–12 Strasbourg European Parliament Plenary
11–12 Berlin Ministers for Justice & Home Affairs (Informal)
18 Brussels Research Council (possible)
22 Brussels Political Committee
22–23 Brussels General Affairs Council
22–23 Brussels Agriculture Council
24–25 Brussels European Parliament Plenary
25 Brussels Internal Market
March 1999
9 Brussels Social Affairs Council
11–12 Brussels Environment Council
12 Brussels Justice & Home Affairs Council (possible)
13–14 Reinhartshausen Foreign Ministers (Informal)
15 Brussels ECOFIN
15–16 Brussels Agriculture Council
18 Brussels Education Council
22 Brussels Political Committee
22–23 Brussels General Affairs Council
24–25 Brussels Special European Council
24–25 Frankfurt Asia-Europe Finance Ministers
25 Brussels Fisheries Council
29 Brussels Transport Council
29–30 Berlin Asia-Europe Foreign Ministers
April 1999
13 Luxembourg Consumer Affairs Council
15–16 Stuttgart Barcelona III
16–18 Dresden ECOFIN (Informal)
19–20 Luxembourg Agriculture Council
22 Luxembourg Telecommunications Council
23–25 Mecklenburg Environment Ministers (Informal)
24–25 Luxembourg NATO Summit
26–27 Luxembourg General Affairs Council
29 Luxembourg Industry Council
May 1999
6 Brussels EU-ACP Ministerial meeting
10 Brussels ECOFIN
10 Brussels Social Affairs Council
10 Bremen WEU Council
10–11 Berlin Trade Ministers (Informal)
11 Brussels Energy Council
17–18 Brussels General Affairs Council
17–18 Brussels Agriculture Council
18–19 Weimar Culture Ministers (Informal)
20 Brussels Research Council
21 Brussels Development Council
25 Brussels Joint ECOFIN and Labour & Social Affairs Council
27 Brussels Youth Council
27–28 Brussels Justice & Home Affairs Council
31 Brussels General Affairs Council
30 May–1 June Dresden Agriculture Ministers (Informal)