The Governments of the Member States and the European Commission were represented as follows: Belgium: Mr Stefaan DE CLERCK Minister for Justice Mr Johan VANDE LANOT
TE Minister for the Interior Denmark: Mr Bjørn WESTH Minister for Justice Ms Birte WEISS Minister for the Interior and Church Affairs GERMANY: Ms Sabine LEUTHEUSSER- SCHNARRENBERGER Minister for Justice Mr Kurt SCHELTER State Secretary, Ministry of the Interior Greece: Mr Georges PAVLEAS State Secretary, Ministry of Justice Spain: Mr Juan Alberto BELLOCH JULBE Minister for Justice and the Interior Ms Maria Teresa F. DE LA VEGA SANZ State Secretary, Ministry of Justice France:
...[+++] Mr Jacques TOUBON Keeper of the Seals, Minister for Justice Mr Jean-Louis DEBRE Minister for the Interior Ireland: Ms Nora OWEN Minister for Justice Italy: Mr Giovanni Rinaldo CORONAS Minister for the Interior Mr Donato MARRA State Secretary, Ministry of Justice Luxembourg: Mr Marc FISCHBACH Minister for Justice Netherlands: Ms Winnie SORGDRAGER Minister for Justice Mr Hans DIJKSTAL Minister for the Interior Austria: Mr Nikolaus MICHALEK Federal Minister for Justice Portugal: Mr José VERA JARDIM Minister for Justice Mr Alberto COSTA Minister for the Interior Finland: Mr Sauli NINISTÖ Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Justice Mr Jan-Erik ENESTAM Minister for the Interior Mr Juhani PERTTUNEN State Secretary, Ministry of the Interior Sweden: Ms Laila FREIVALDS Minister for Justice Mr Leif BLOMBERG Minister for Immigration United Kingdom: Mr Michael HOWARD Home Secretary Commission: Ms Anita GRADIN Member DEFINITION OF THE TERM "REFUGEE" IN ARTICLE 1 OF THE GENEVA CONVENTION The Council reached agreement in principle on a joint position on the harmonized application of the definition of the term "refugee" in Article 1A of the Geneva Convention of 28 July 1951 relating to the status of refugees.