...- .f •. lllll)l11I~Hlllllll The Summit: Venice rises to the occasion. See page 3. Contents • European Council 3 Venice rises to the occasion Transport 4 Blueprint to make Europe's traffic flow more freely 5 Keeping Community waters clear of rogue shipping 6 Community air fares to come .under the microscope Reducing barriers 7 Welcoming the sun together Community driving licence is en route at last Social affairs 7 Ensuring more health protection for workers 8 Women still second-class citizens, say parliamentarians Environment 8 Proposal to eliminate the damage of careless planning 10 MEPs support move to prevent major industrial accidents External relations 10 1983 reaffirmed as target date for Portuguese entry Third World 10 Zimbabwe opens negotiations for Lome membership II Dangers of failure in North-South Dialogue stressed Development aid: making sure it reaches the needy Letters to the editor 12 Energy tax Retired folk Naturist beaches 13 UK contribution Euroforum cartoons Greece 14 The news at a glance ,·: Focus 15 Convincing ourselves that solar energy can really work Euroforum is published by the The contents of Euroforum-which Directorate-General for Information, do not necessarily reflect the Commission of the opinions of the European Commu­ European Communities, nity Institutions-may be quoted or reproduced· without further permis­ Rue de la Loi 200, sion. An indication of Euroforum B-1 049 Bruxelles, as the source would be appreciated, Belgium as would a copy of any article Tel. 735.0040/8040 published. Editor-in-chief: Peter Doyle m c ::c EUROPEAN COUNCIL 0 "TT 0 ::c c world were assured by a maze of basing themselves on the UN ~ antennae rigged up unceremoniously Security Council resolutions and their on the tower of Palladio's Renaissance own previous declarations. basilica, combined to keep the Com­ munity leaders firmly in the twentieth They reiterated two fundamental century. principles-'the right to existence and to security of all the states in the Nevertheless, compared wiht the region, including Israel, and justice for previous two European Councils when all the peoples, which implies the the issue of the British contribution to recognition of the legitimate rights the Community's budget ensured of the Palestinian people.' friction appropriate to a gathering at this level, the meeting, staged in a The declaration went on to say that 16th century library where usually all countries in the area are entitled to the loudest noise is the browsing of live in peace within secure, recognized Venice rises one of the Benedictine monks who and guaranteed borders. The neces­ to the occasion inhabit the island, was a relatively sary guarantees for a peace settlement quiet affair. should be provided by the UN and the It was, perhaps, appropnate that Nine would contribute to these Convivial too, with suitable breaks for Venice, the Serenissima Republica guarantees. meals and refreshments in such which for so long acted as the bridge sumptuous surrondings as the Pisani between the eastern and western The Nine declared that the Pales~inian Palace, one of the grander of the old Mediterranean worlds, should have problem was not simply one of merchant princes' establishments been the venue last month for one of refugees and they said that the which adorn the Grand Canal. the most productive of the thrice­ Palestinian people must be enabled yearly European Councils. to exercise fully their right to self­ At the end of the two days, the British determination. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, The summit of the nine European dubbed 'The Doghessa' by the press In order to achieve these objectives, Community Heads of State (President corps, declared: 'This summit really the Community leaders emphasized Giscard d'Estaing) and of government has been a completely different one that all parties concerned should be the eight Prime Ministers)-together for Britain than any we have had associated with the peace negotiations. with Commission President Roy before.' This includes the Palestinian people enkins,-witnessed a new and and the PLO. ignificant initiative by western leaders The removal of the BPitish budgetary that could have far-reaching problem from the agenda left the nine Finally, the Nine called on Israel to repercussions at the eastern end of governmentleaders and Mr Jenkins end its occupation of the West Bank the Mediterranean. free to have a more broad-reaching as it has done for part of Sinai. They exchange of views on a wide range of described the Israeli settlements as 'a The Summit's declaration on the domestic and international subjects, serious obstacle to the peace process Middle East was the most concrete including the economic and social in the Middle East.' result of two days of deliberations on situation-particularly problems of San Giorgio Maggiore, a pocket-size inflation and unemployment-energy The Community governments are islet nestling in the Venetian lagoon a and the forthcom•ing relaunching of the following up this declaration by lazy gondola's ride away from the North-South dialogue between the diplomatic contacts with all parties Palace of the Doges. industrialized and developing involved to sound out their reaction countries. to the declaration and to determine The normal stillness of the island, what concrete initiatives they should where sounds are muffled by 16th But the discussion which captured take. century tapestries and orange groves most of the next day's headlines was -it was quiet. enough for a papal that which was devoted to the situation Initial reported reactions from the area conclave in 1800----<;ombined with in the Middle East on which the Nine of conflict were not encouraging. the sultry Venetian weather, would not have gradually been evolving a Israeli Prime Minister Menachem normally have been conducive to common position. Begin was quoted as saying the activity or decision-making. Ollltcome of the Venice meeting was A declaration issued after the meeting 'a second Munich.' A PLO com­ But the presence of 8000 troops in the said that the Nine had reviewed the munique issued in Damascus called on city, the swarms of helicopters above situation in the light of developments the Community to take 'more inde­ and shoals of frogmen below, aHied to since •the signing of the Camp David pendent positions and free itself from 850 news-hungry journalists whose agreements and that they had agreed North American pressures [tnd black­ communications with the outside that growing tensions constituted a mail.' However, the PLO statement serious danger which made a solution said that the declaration contained to the Israeli-Arab conflict more several positive aspects. Euroforum is now taking a break. necessary and pressing .than ever. The· next issue will be published in The US Secretary of State, Mr September. We wish you all a The Community leaders emphasized Edmund Muskie, was quoted as saying happy holiday. that they had a special role to play and that he saw nothing in the declaration · that they intended now to work in a which directly challenged the Camp more concrete way towards peace, David process. 'That being the case, 3 I I see no reason why we should not be ~ able to proceed with it.' TRANSPORT .... ~ The European Council also issued ;:) a: statements on the Lebanon, in which it 0 LL were also used .to identify bottlenecks 0 reiterated support for the country's Blueprint to make a: ;:) independence and for the UN peace­ and the Commission set out figures w keeping forces there, and on Afghan­ Europe's traffic for the average acceptable traffic istan, in which it condemned the flow more freely flow under normal conditions. presence of Soviet troops. It urged that Afghanistan be allowed to return Almost 4000 miles of roads and more In line with these criteria, the Member to its traditional position as a neutral .than 2000 miles of railways States submitted lists of bottlenecks on and non-aligned SJtate. throughout the European Community their territory, as well as projects they are time-wasting and money-wasting envisaged to improve traffic flow at A week later, the leaders of the four bottlenecks, a study has revealed. certain points. Approximately 3 800 large Community countries-France, miles of road and over 2 150 miles of Germany, Italy and the United As an integral part of its research railway in the Community were Kingdom-together with Commis­ into the Community's role in the identified as bottlenecks. sion President Roy Jenkins, were back development of transport infrastruc­ in Venice again for the world econ­ ture in the Nine, the European Com­ For inland waterways, the identific­ omic summit, the sixth in a series mission has just sent the Council of ation of bottlenecks was more difficult, which began at Rambouillet near Ministers a report on those bottlenecks but Member States pointed to such Paris in November 1975. in the Member States transport features as locks that were more infrastructure networks. difficult to pass through, or too small With the additional participation of to cope with traffic flow, or stetches US President Car.ter, Canadian Prime It has proposed to the Council of of waterway which were not wide or Minister Pierre Trudeau and repre­ Ministers that a special Community not deep enough to allow larger boats sentatives from Japan, the security mechanism for financial support be through. reduced San Giorgio Maggiore to set up to help finance projects to near.-siege conditions and the waves unblock these bottlenecks. Member States also included ports thrown up by the flotilla of motorized and airports in their submissions, and craft employed to ferry the leaders to The report was requested by the four sea crossings including the and from the island threatened to Council in November 1978.