HL Deb 25 March 1999 vol 598 cc173-8WA
Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will list the forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union for April; and the major European Union events for the next six months. [HL1722]

Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale

Monthly Forecast of Business: April 1999
Date Location 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

The following subjects are likely to be discussed:

April 8: Brussels, Political Committee

  • No agenda yet available.

April 12–16: Strasbourg, European Parliament Plenary

  • No agenda yet available.

April 13: 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 Directive 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

April 15–16: Stuttgart, Euro-Med Foreign Ministers Conference "Barcelona III"

  • No agenda yet available.

April 16–18: Dresden, ECOFIN (Informal)

  • No formal agenda.

>April 19–20: Luxembourg, Agricultural Council

  • No agenda yet available.

April 20: Brussels, Political Committee

  • No agenda yet available.

April 22: 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 co-ordination
  • Update from the Commission relating to deve-lopments on electronic commerce.
  • Digital Television
  • Information from the Presidency
  • Year 2000 computer problem
  • Update and possible resolution

April 24–25: Luxembourg, NATO Summit

  • No agenda yet available.

April 26: Luxembourg, Political Committee

  • No agenda yet available.

April 26–27: 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
    • WA 175
  • Ukraine
  • Preparation of Co-operation Council
  • Western Balkans
  • EU-China
  • Preparation of summit (end of April/beginning of May, Beijing)
  • Myanmar
  • Extension of common position
  • Middle East peace process

April 29: 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
    • WA 176
  • 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.

April 29–30: Brussels, K4 Committee

  • No agenda yet available.

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: April-September 1999
Date Location 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 Wermar 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
Brussels Development Council
25 Brussels Joint ECOFIN and Labour & Social Affairs Council
25 Brussels Social Affairs Council

European Calendar: April-September 1999
Date Location Event
25 Brussels Political Committee
27 Brussels Youth Council
27–28 Brussels Justice & 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 & 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
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

European Calendar: April-September 1999
Date Location Event
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