§ Liz BlackmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union for April and list the major European Union events for the next six months. [79183]
§ Ms QuinThe information is as follows:
Monthly forecast of business: April 1999 Venue Event 8 Brussels Political Committee 12–16 Strasbour g European Parliament Plenary 13 Luxembourg Consumer Affairs Council 15–16 Stuttgart Euro-Med Foreign Ministers Conference 'Barcelona III' 16–18 Dresden ECOFIN (Informal) 19–20 Luxembourg Agriculture Council 20 Brussels Political Committee 22 Luxembourg Telecommunications Council 24–25 Luxembourg NATO Summit 26 Luxembourg Political Committee 26–27 Luxembourg General Affairs Council 29 Luxembourg Industry Council 29–30 Brussels K4 Committee The following subjects are likely to be discussed:
8 April—Brussels—Political Committee
No agenda yet available
12–16 April—Strasbourg—European Parliament Plenary
No agenda yet available
13 April—Luxembourg—Consumer Affairs Council
Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and the Council concerning the distance marketing of consumer financial services and amending Directives 90/619/EEC, 97/7/EC and 98/2/EC
Policy debate
Communication from the Commission on an action plan (1999–2001) on priorities for consumer policy
Debate
Council conclusions
Consumer-policy aspects of the negotiation of insurance contracts in the internal market
Progress report from the Commission
Forthcoming revision of the Directive on general product safety
Progress report from the Commission
Directive on the sale of consumer goods and associated guarantees
Adoption
15–16 April—Stuttgart—Euro-Med Foreign Ministers Conference "Barcelona III"
No agenda yet available
345W16–18 April—Dresden—ECOFIN (Informal)
No formal agenda
19–20 April—Luxembourg—Agriculture Council
No agenda yet available
20 April—Brussels—Political Committee
No agenda yet available
22 April—Luxembourg—Telecommunications Council
Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on a common framework for electronic signatures
Common position
Commission's Green Paper on the convergence of the telecommunications, media and information technology sectors, and the implications for regulation: Towards an Information Society Approach
Conclusions
Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on postal services
Policy debate
Status of the internal market in telecommunications, with Report on implementation
Debate
Globalisation and the Information Society: the need for strengthened international coordination
Update from the Commission relating to developments on electronic commerce
Digital Television
Information from the Presidency
Year 2000 computer problem
Update and possible resolution
24–25 April—Luxembourg—NATO Summit
No agenda yet available
26 April—Luxembourg—Political Committee
No agenda yet available
26–27 April—Luxembourg—General Affairs Council
Issues arising from the Special European Council
Amsterdam Treaty
Enlargement
Common strategies
EU-Turkey
Europe strategy
Romania
Preparation of Association Council
Estonia
Preparation of Association Council
Slovakia
Preparation of Association Council
Ukraine
Preparation of Cooperation Council
Western Balkans
EU-China
Preparation of summit (end of April/beginning of May, Beijing)
Myanmar
Extension of common position
Middle East peace process
346W29 April—Luxembourg—Industry Council
The economic situation
Information from the Commission on economic developments Globalisation of the world economy
Commission communication
Policy debate
Competitiveness of European industry
(a) Benchmarking
Reports on benchmarking activities at the levels of framework conditions, sectors and enterprises
Conclusions
(b) Ongoing debate on competitiveness
Information on industrial aspects of related work in other Councils
Report by the Presidency
(c) Industrial aspects of enlargement
Information from the Commission
SMS
(a) Proposal for a Council Directive combating late payment in commercial transactions
Common position
(b) Commission communication on management training
Presentation by the Commission
(c) Follow-up Business Environment
Simplification Taskforce (BEST)
Conclusions
Communication on tourism and employment
Presentation by the Commission
Shipbuilding
Situation of the shipbuilding industry
Information from the Commission
Coal and steel industry
Expiry of the ECSC Treaty
Financial aspects
New Regulations on State aid for steel
Conclusions
Industrial aspects of electronic commerce
Commission Communication
Presentation by the Commission
Sectoral issues
OETH assessment and recommendations for its future
Conclusions
Competition policy
(a) Commission communication on the application of the EU competitiveness rules to vertical restrictions: follow-up to the green book on vertical restrictions
Political agreement
(b) Report from the Commission on modernising competition rules
Information from the Commission
29–30 April—Brussels—K4 Committee
No agenda yet available
European Calendar: April-September 1999
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.
347W348W 349W
Venue Event April 1999 8 Brussels Political Committee 12–16 Strasbourg European Parliament Plenary 13 Luxembourg Consumer Affairs Council 15–16 Stuttgart Euro-Med Foreign Ministers Conference 'Barcelona III' 16–18 Dresden ECOFIN (Informal) 19–20 Luxembourg Agriculture Council 20 Brussels Political Committee 22 Luxembourg Telecommunications Council 24–25 Luxembourg NATO Summit 26 Luxembourg Political Committee 26–27 Luxembourg General Affairs Council 29 Luxembourg Industry Council 29–30 Brussels K4 Committee May 1999 3–7 Strasbourg European Parliament Plenary 6–7 Berlin Political committee 6 Brussels EU-ACP Ministerial meeting 7–9 Weimar Environment Ministers (Informal) 10 Brussels ECOFIN 10 Bremen WEU Council 10–11 Berlin Trade Ministers (Informal) 11 Brussels Energy Council 17 Brussels K4 Committee 17 Brussels Political Committee 17–18 Brussels General Affairs Council 17–18 Brussels Agriculture Council 18 Brussels EEA Council 18 Brussels Co-Operation Council with Russia 18–19 Weimar Culture Ministers (Informal) 20 Brussels Research Council 21 Brussels Development Council 25 Brussels Joint ECOFIN and Labour and Social Affairs Council 25 Brussels Social Affairs Council 25 Brussels Political Committee 27 Brussels Youth Council 27–28 Brussels Justice and Home Affairs Council 31 Brussels General Affairs Council 30 May–1 June Dresden Agriculture Ministers (Informal) June 1999 1 Dresden Agriculture Ministers (Informal) 3–4 Cologne European Council 7 Luxembourg Education Council 8 Luxembourg Health Council 10 Brussels Political Committee 10 Luxembourg Fisheries Council 10–13 European Parliament Elections 14 Luxembourg ECOFIN (possible) 14–15 Luxembourg Agriculture Council 14–15 Brussels K4 Committee 17 Bonn EU-Japan Summit 17–18 Luxembourg Transport Council 21 Luxembourg Internal Market 21 Bonn EU-USA/Canada Summit 21–22 Luxembourg General Affairs Council 22 Luxembourg Labour and Social Affairs Council (possible) 24–25 Luxembourg Environment Council 25–29 Rio de Janeiro EU-Latin America/Caribbean Summit 28 Luxembourg Culture Council 29 Brussels Political Committee (possible) July 1999 2–3 Oulu Industry and Research Ministers (Informal) 6–7 Savonlinna Culture Ministers 8 Hameenlinna Political Committee 9–10 Oulu Labour/Social Affairs Ministers (Informal) 12 Brussels ECOFIN 12 Brussels Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Committee 16 Brussels Budget 18–20 Savonlinna Culture/Audiovisual Ministers (Informal) 19 Brussels Political Committee 19–20 Brussels General Affairs Council
Venue Event 19–20 Brussels Agriculture Council 20–23 Strasbourg European Parliament Plenary 22–23 Helsinki K4 Committee 23–25 Helsinki Environment Ministers (Informal) August 1999 No Council Business September 1999 1 Brussels Political Committee 4–5 Saariselka Foreign Ministers (Informal) 6–7 Brussels Agriculture Standing Committee 9–10 Turku K4 Committee 10–12 Turku ECOFIN (Informal) 12–14 Tampere Agriculture Ministers (Informal) 13 Brussels Political Committee (Informal) 13–14 Brussels General Affairs Committee 13–17 Strasbourg European Parliament Plenary 16–17 Kittila Article 113 Committee 16–17 Turku Justice and Home Affairs (Informal) 20 Brussels Political Committee (Possible) 20–21 Brussels Agriculture Standing Committee 23 Brussels Telecommunications 24 Brussels K4 Committee (Informal) 24–25 Tampere Education Committee (Informal) 27–28 Kuopio Ministers of Housing 27–28 Brussels Agriculture Ministers 30 Brussels Political Committee 30 Helsinki Equality Conference