§ Following is the Statement by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs referred to above:
§ "With permission, Mr. Speaker, I should like to make a Statement on the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council which I chaired in Brussels on 15th and 16th December. My honourable friend the Member for Wallasey represented the United Kingdom.
§ "Foreign Ministers confirmed the reappointment for a further two-year term of the President of the Commission and the Vice-Presidents.
§ "The Council noted that a solution had not yet been reached in the negotiations with the United States concerning the accession to the Community of Spain and Portugal. Ministers emphasised the need to reach a settlement as soon as possible, and confirmed the decision of the April and June Councils that in the event of unilateral US action the Community would take equivalent action to defend its interests.
§ "The Council approved a negotiating mandate for a Trade and Economic Co-operation Agreement between the Community and Romania.
§ "The Council expressed its concern about the considerable number of current trade problems with Canada, and invited the Commission to pursue these matters vigorously and firmly with Canada.
172§ "The Council discussed the guidelines for the 1987 Asia and Latin America aid programme, and an export stabilisation scheme for least developed countries not party to the Lomé Convention.
§ "The Council discussed two important procedural consequences of the Single European Act: concerning the powers of the Commission and the Council's own rules of procedure. I am glad to say that on the latter point a satisfactory agreement was reached.
§ "The Council also discussed social measures in the coal and steel industries; and held a conciliation meeting with a delegation from the European Parliament on the new regulation on food aid policy and management on which the Development Council agreed a common position on 11th November. The regulation, the UK Presidency initiative, was then formally adopted.
§ "An Association Council at Ministerial level was held with Cyprus. Both sides agreed on the importance of bringing the current customs union negotiations to an early conclusion."