§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the EU Committee for the adaptation to scientific and technical progress of the Directive on bathing water is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; when it is next due to meet; what the United Kingdom representation on it is; whether experts nominated by the Scottish Executive(a)have been and (b)are members of it; and if she will make a statement. [62919]
§ Mr. MeacherI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow), on 21 May 2002,Official Report,column 184W. No date has been set for the next meeting. 606W UK representation can vary according to the agenda for each meeting and may include members of the Scottish Executive and other devolved Administrations where there are items of sufficient interest. A member of the Scottish Executive has attended both the meetings held over the past 12 months.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the EU Committee on the Directive on packaging and packaging waste is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; when it is next due to meet; what the United Kingdom representation on it is; whether experts nominated by the Scottish Executive(a)have been and (b)are members of it; and if she will make a statement. [62917]
§ Mr. MeacherThe mandate of the Committee on the Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste (94/62/EC) is advisory in the terms laid down in Article 21 of the Directive as follows:
The Commission shall be assisted by a committee composed of the representatives of the Member States and chaired by the representative of the Commission.The representative of the Commission shall submit to the committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft within a time limit which the chairman may lay down according to the urgent of the matter. The opinion shall be delivered by the majority laid down in Article 148 (2) of the Treaty in the case of decisions which the Council is required to adopt on a proposal from the Commission. The votes of the representatives of the Member States within the committee shall be weighted in the manner set out in that Article. The chairman shall not vote.(a)The Commission shall adopt the measures envisaged if they are in accordance with the opinion of the committee.If the measures envisaged are not in accordance with the opinion of the committee, or if not opinion is delivered, the Commission shall, without delay, submit to the Council a proposal relating to the measures to be taken. The Council shall act by a qualified majority.If, on the expiry of a period which may in no case exceed three months from the date of referral to the Council, the Council has not acted, the proposed measures shall be adopted by the Commission.
The Article 21 Committee has met four times over the last 12 months and is next due to meet on 10 July 2002. The DTI has lead responsibility for representatives, along with DEFRA, and officials from both Departments are present at most meetings. All the devolved Administrations are kept fully informed of the work of the Committee and may send experts to the meetings if they wish.