§ Mr. Frank R. Whiteasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Council of Foreign Ministers of the European Community that met on 16th and 17th October.
§ Mr. JuddMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade, my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Department of Industry and I, represented the United Kingdom at the Foreign Affairs Council on 16th and 17th October.
7WThe Council discussed arrangements concerning the Community steel industry in 1979 and agreed to consider detailed proposals in November. On the basis of the mandate approved by the Council on 19th and 20th December 1977, the Commission will hold exploratory talks with third countries on the Community's steel import arrangements for 1979. The continuation of the present import system will then be discussed further by the Council in November.
The Council repeated its willingness to work for the successful conclusion of the GATT multilateral trade negotiations but decided that no package could be concluded until the United States had resolved the problem of the extension of its waiver on countervailing duties. The Council also expressed concern at action taken by the United States Congress to exclude textiles from the United States tariff offers.
Agreement was reached on the transfer to the European Coal and Steel community of an additional 28 million European units of account for 1978.
Mr. Haferkamp, Commissioner for External Affairs, reported to the Council on his recent visit to China and stressed the political and economic importance of cooperation between the Community and China.
On Greek accession, the Council examined proposals for the phased introduction of free movement of workers from Greece during a transitional period. The question was remitted for further consideration.
There was preliminary discussion of Commission proposals for negotiating directives for a new EEC/Yugoslavia agreement. Ministers confirmed the importance of strengthening ties with Yugoslavia.
The forthcoming ministerial meeting between the EEC and ASEAN countries in Brussels on 20th and 21st November was discussed and a draft agenda agreed.
The Council was unable to reach agreement on proposals to adjust duty and tax exemptions for travellers and for small consignments and referred the question to officials for further consideration.
Directives were agreed on brake lights for tractors and on motor cycle noise levels.
8WAt the end of the Council, negotiations for Portuguese accession were formally opened in an atmosphere of good will. The first meeting on matters of substance will probably be in early December.
§ Mr. Frank R. Whiteasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on meetings of Foreign Ministers of the Nine in political co-operation which have taken place since the end of July.
§ Mr. JuddThe Foreign Ministers of the Nine held one of their regular quarterly meetings in political co-operation at Bonn on 14th September. The meeting dealt with relations between the Nine and Turkey in the light of the enlargement of the Community; arrangements to introduce Portugal and Spain to political co-operation; prospects for the 33rd United Nations General Assembly; Southern Africa; and the Middle East.
On 19th September a political co-operation session was held in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council at Brussels to discuss the results of the Camp David meeting on the Middle East. Afterwards the Presidency made a statement on the position of the Nine to the press.
§ Mr. Frank R. Whiteasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Council of Foreign Ministers of the European Community that met on 19th September.
§ Mr. JuddMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and I represented the United Kingdom at the Foreign Affairs Council on 19th September at which the principal subjects discussed were steel, the budget of the European Coal and Steel Community—ECSC—and the GATT multilateral trade negotiations.
The Council considered the question of infringements of agreed pricing arrangements for steel and remitted the question to officials for further study. The Commission was authorised to hold consultations with Sweden, Finland and Czechoslovakia on steel imports, at which Britian and France would be represented. Agreement was reached on the establishment of an OECD steel committee.
The proposed allocation of an additional 32 million European units of 9W account to the ECSC was remitted to officials for further consideration. The Commission agreed to produce by the end of this year a study of customs duties on coal and steel imports as a Community resource.
The Council reviewed progress in the GATT multilateral trade negotiations and expressed its concern over the possible expiry of the United States Administrations authority to waive the imposition of countervailing duties.
The Council discussed Commission proposals for the agenda of the ministerial meeting between the EEC and the Association of South East Asian Nations—ASEAN—on 20th and 21st November.
The question of tariff reductions on imports of citrus products from certain Mediterranean countries was remitted for further study.
10WThe composition of the Economic and Social Committee was agreed.
The Council heard a report from Commissioner Haferkamp on further talks about a possible agreement between the Community and the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance—CMEA.