Mr. Andy Stewartasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report a statement of forthcoming business in the European Community Council of Ministers.
§ Mr. RifkindThe usual written forecast was deposited in the House on 28 June. At present four meetings of the Council of Ministers are planned for July.
557WThe Economic and Finance Council is expected to meet on 9 July to consider the Commission's second quarterly review of the economic situation in the Community.
The Agriculture Council is next expected to meet on 16–17 July to consider New Zealand butter quotas, the voluntary restraint agreement on sheepmeat, the pig carcase classification scheme and olive oil controls. It may also consider agricultural structures and their impact on integrated Mediterranean programmes and less favoured areas.
The Budget Council will meet on 18–19 July to consider the Commission's preliminary draft budget for 1985 and the forecast budget overrun for 1984.
The Foreign Affairs Council is due to meet on 23–24 July when Ministers will prepare the Community's position for the Ministerial conference with the Portuguese which will be held in the margins of the Council. We shall be pressing for a firm decision by the Council on an adequate supplement to the 1984 quota for duty free newsprint imports and for a review of progress on establishing the long term future of the quota. The Council is likely to discuss the follow-up to the Fountainebleau European Council and may wish to discuss the implications for the Community of the recent finding by the United States International Trade Commission, on a petition by Bethlehem Steel, that imports of certain steel products are injuring the United States domestic industry. The follow-up to the EC/ACP ministerial negotiating conference of 28-29 June on a successor to the second Lomé convention may also be discussed.