Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 5 Rhagfyr 1973.
Mr John Davies
, Knutsford
12:00,
5 Rhagfyr 1973
With your permission, Mr. Speaker, and that of the House, I wish to make a statement about matters considered in the Council of the European Communities since I last reported to the House on 24th October.
There have been six meetings—the Foreign Ministers met twice, the Finance Ministers twice, and the Ministers of Agriculture and Transport once each.
My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture has already reported to the House on the meeting of Agriculture Ministers on 19th and 20th November.
At the meeting of Transport Ministers on 22nd November there was a preliminary exchange of views on the Commission's recent document on the development of the common transport policy, which was the main item on the agenda.
For the rest, agreement was reached on the substance of a measure of liberalisation in internatinal road haulage, on a small change in consultation procedures, and on the need for uniform enforcement of the rules restricting lorry drivers' hours.
Lorry weights and dimensions and the increase in the new member countries' share of the Community quota for road haulage were further discussed without conclusions being reached.
The Foreign Ministers met on 5th and 6th November and discussed a wide range of subjects affecting the Community's relations with almost all other parts of the world. These subjects were further discussed at the Foreign Ministers meeting on 3rd and 4th December.
Ministers have now agreed on the content of trade agreements to be concluded with Brazil and with India.
The Council made progress on agreeing improvements for 1974 on the generalised scheme of preferences which it offers to imports from developing countries and on its offer of tariff concessions to third countries under the GATT as a consequence of the enlargement of the Community.
Further discussion took place on the mandate for the Commission to negotiate agreements with certain Mediterranean countries. In the expectation that such agreements are unlikely to be concluded by the year end, a satisfactory understanding was reached on the handling of interim arrangements.
There was a detailed discussion of the main aspects of the Regional Development Fund to be set up by 1st January 1974 as provided for in last year's Summit meeting in Paris. This resulted in a clarification of the position of the various member States which should help in finalising the arrangements to be concluded by the year end.
At their meeting on 9th November the Finance Ministers discussed the progress of the Community's anti-inflation programme and the move to a second stage of economic and monetary union.
On Monday and Tuesday of this week the Finance Ministers agreed a resolution on short-term action against inflation. They also made useful progress in further consideration of economic and monetary union and agreed to resume the discussion on 17th December.
Opportunity was taken of the meetings yesterday and the day before to have an extensive exchange of views on the Community's current energy problems.
It was recognised that the united approach to a political solution in the Middle East still constituted the primary field for Community action.
It was also agreed that the consultative arrangements instituted at meetings in November should be maintained.
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