Council of Agriculture Ministers

HC Deb 22 January 1986 vol 90 cc209-10W

Mr. Soames

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Council of Agriculture Ministers' meeting held in Brussels on 20 and 21 January; and whether he will make a statement.

Mr. Jopling

The main decisions taken by the Council concerned beef and cattle imports during 1986.

The Council decided on the division between Member States of the 50,000 tonnes of frozen beef which the Community has undertaken, in the context of international trade negotiations, to import annually free of levy. At 13,680 tonnes, the United Kingdom's share remains larger than that of any other member state. It represents a small reduction, of less than 2 per cent. (240 tonnes), on the 1985 figure compared with the reduction of some 10 per cent. (1,340 tonnes) originally proposed by the Commission.

The Council also decided on the 1986 level of imports on preferential terms of calves for fattening and beef for processing. Given current high levels of production and stocks of beef in the Community, these imports were set at 175,000 head and 25,000 tonnes respectively compared with 190,000 head and 50,000 tonnes in 1985. At my request, the Commission undertook to safeguard the position of meat processors by making beef available for processing from intervention stocks on terms reflecting the Council's decision on imports.

In recognition of the effect on overseas suppliers of the reduction in imports of processing beef the Council agreed, subject to the opinion of the European Parliament, to open a special levy-free import quota for 6,000 tonnes of high quality beef during 1986. The Council also decided that 300,000 tonnes of feed wheat in intervention stocks in the United Kingdom should be transferred at Community expense to Italy to assist livestock farmers affected by drought. This will help to reduce our large stocks of feed wheat.

The Council again discussed the Commission's proposals for changes in the arrangements for starch and for the provision of sugar at reduced prices for use in industrial products. The Chairman stated his intention of trying to reach final decisions on these proposals at the next meeting of the Council.