§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on progress with achieving transparency in respect of the European working groups for which her Department is responsible. [105743]
§ Mr. CabornThe position on transparency with regard to the European Economic Area working groups on which the Department is represented is as follows:
Cultural Affairs Committee
Audio Visual Working Group
Meetings are not open to the public, and papers are variously classified. Those with no restriction are put immediately on the Council website (http://europa.eu.int/pol/av/inde_xen.htm); others have a restricted circulation while proposals are under negotiation.
Television Without Frontiers Directive (Article 23(A)) Contact Committee
Proceedings are restricted to the member states, and papers are generally available after one year. Decisions on availability are for the Contact Committee.
Working Group on Cultural Statistics
Working Group on Audiovisual Statistics
Working Group on the Collection of Statistical Information in the field of Tourism
At the end of 2002, the Eurostat management board decided in principle that summary minutes of all Eurostat working groups should be published on the website (http://europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat). Plans are in hand to do this.