§ Mr. Wallasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in view of the failure of the reference price system for fish, he will suggest that the EEC adopt alternative means of import regulations.
§ Mr. BishopM. Lardinois told the European Assembly on 15th January that he would be proposing improvements to the EEC reference price system. We are in contact with the Commission at official level.
§ Mr. Wallasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take action in the EEC to check imports of fish into the Common Market at prices below EEC withdrawal prices.
§ Mr. BishopCommunity regulations already provide for prices of imports of the main species of fish, including all 691W those vital to the United Kingdom industry, to be monitored at the main ports. The data are passed to the Commission, whose responsibility it is to decide upon the necessary measures if prices fall below the minimum prescribed with consequent market disturbance or threat of disturbance. The scheme was extended in May 1975 to certain frozen fish so as to give our fishermen protection against unduly low-priced imports.