HC Deb 07 June 1978 vol 951 cc191-4W
Dr. M. S. Miller

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the last meeting of the Council of Ministers.

Dr. Owen

I attended a meeting of the Council in Luxembourg on 6th June together with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and my right hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The Council discussed Portuguese accession against the background of the Commission's opinion on Portugal's application. It was agreed to accept the application and to open negotiations as soon as practically possible after the summer break.

I told the Council that the United Kingdom expected shortly to ratify the Act and Decision of 20th September 1976 on direct elections to the European Assembly and drew attention to the need for early decisions on the salaries of directly elected Members. The House may wish to know that I signed the instrument of ratification today.

There was a short discussion of the report which is to be prepared for the European Council on a common strategy on the economic and social situation. In a useful first discussion of the structural problems arising in industrial policy, my right hon. Friend emphasised that industry's ability to adapt to changing patterns of world trade was closely related to the current rate of economic growth. He emphasised our concern that the limits on textile imports from low-cost producers agreed by the Council last December should be respected and underlined the need for firm controls on these imports, including those from Mediterranean producers.

Further progress was made on the outstanding points on the Comunity's Regional Fund. The Council noted a series of proposed Commission measures to tighten internal discipline in the steel market.

The Council considered the Commission's proposals for its forthcoming discussions on trade questions with the Australian Minister for Special Trade Representations. The Commission will report back on the outcome of its talks with Mr. Garland on 8th and 9th June. The United Kingdom emphasised the need for the Community to reach agreement with Australia, and in this connection pressed, in particular, for improved access to the Community for Australian beef.

We had a first discussion of the Community's objectives for the renegotiation of the Lomé Covention and will return to this question and will review the Commission's negotiating mandate on 26th and 27th June.

The Council agreed that, in the light of the importance of the Community's relations with Yugoslavia, a mutually satisfactory co-operation agreement should be concluded as soon as possible. Member States undertook to study con- structively further Commission proposals to this end.

The Commission reported on the progress in its talks last week in Moscow with the CMEA and on the GATT multilateral trade negotiations.