§ Mr. Martenasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why the EEC did not accede to the International Sugar Agreement due to come into effect on 1st January 1978.
§ Mr. Bishop:The new International Sugar Agreement will come into effect on 1st January 1978 provided that a sufficient number of importing and exporting countries signify by then their intention to ratify the agreement. The European Economic Community will not be among these as the agreement does not provide for the detailed terms of Community membership. Towards the end of the recent United Nations Sugar Conference the Community put forward a proposal on the terms on which it would be prepared to join a new agreement but time did not allow full discussion of these. Accordingly, as my right hon. Friend stated in his reply to the hon. Member on 26th October—[Vol. 936, c. 841–2]—the agreement contains a provision under which the EEC can accede on special terms to be negotiated.