§ Mr. Teddy TaylorTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what green pound changes were recommended for each country of the EEC in the proposals agreed by 11 member states at the recent Council meeting; and what effect these will have on the penalties for the overproduction of cereals agreed by Heads of Government at the meeting of the European Council in February.
§ Mr. MacGregor[holding answer 27 June 1988]: The answers to my hon. Friend's question are given in the following table, the final column of which shows the effect that the proposed green rate changes, agreed by eleven member states at the end of the recent Agriculture meeting in Luxembourg on 17 June, would have on cereal support prices in national currencies. The decisions reached by the European Council in February 1988 on cereals stabilisers are not affected. The maximum impact on effective cereals support, if the stabiliser mechanisms are fully triggered by this year's harvest, would be a 3 per cent reduction in all member states in the 1989–90 marketing year, plus an increase in the co-responsibility level from 3 per cent. to 6 per cent. from 1 July this year.
378W
Country Commodity sector Proposed reduction in monetary gaps between green and market rates (per cent. points) Change in cereals prices (per cent.) Belgium Sheep 2.0 — Luxembourg Others 0.5 +0.5 Denmark Pigmeat 0.5 — Others 1.0 +1.0 Germany All 0 0 Greece Beef 10.0 — Others 14.5 +11.6 Spain Sheep 1.0 0 Others 0 — France All 1.5 +1.4 Ireland All 1.55 +1.5 Italy Sheep 6.6 — Others 2.5 +2.4 Netherlands Milk 0.5 — Others 0 0 Portugal Sheep 4.8 — Others 11.0 0 United Kingdom All 3.2 +2.9 1. All the green rate changes would apply (except in Greece and Portugal) from I January 1989, and would apply in all sectors except beef, where a decision would be taken in the light of the forthcoming review of the arrangements to apply in this sector after 31 December 1988.
2. In Greece, the monetary gap would be reduced by 10 percentage points in all sectors from the start of the 1988–89 marketing years. A further 4.5 percentage points would apply in all sectors except beef (to which the arrangements mentioned in (1) above would apply) from 1 January 1989.
3. Under transitional arrangements, the common cereals regime is not yet applicable in Portugal.