§ Mr. CashTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the French Presidency's proposals for(a) a European food safety authority and (b) the harmonisation of working hours in the transport industry.[138680]
§ Mr. Vaz(a) A proposal for a European Food Authority forms one part of the European Commission's proposed Regulation on general food law adopted on 8 November. The UK supports the establishment of such an Authority and will be considering this proposal carefully with wide public consultation. The French 771W Presidency will be seeking preliminary views on the European Food Authority proposal in an orientation debate at the Internal Market Council on 30 November.
(b) Proposals concerning the organisation of working time for mobile workers in the road transport sector were first published by the Commission in November 1998. Since then, negotiations in the Council have been slow and difficult and several issues have still to be resolved. The French Presidency hope to reach a Common Position at the Transport Council on 20–21 December.