Foreign Affairs Council (Hansard, 22 October 1979)

§ Sir Ian Gilmour

asked The United Kingdom was represented at the Foreign Affairs Council on 18 September by my hon. Friend the Minister of State—the hon. Member for Mid-Oxon (Mr. Hurd)—and my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Industry.

The Council approved the opening of exploratory discussions with the United States about the possibility of advance implementation of the agreement on trade in civil aircraft negotiated in the GATT 31W multilateral trade negotiiations. My hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Oxon reminded the Council of the United Kingdom's continuing concern over the effect of artificially low United States oil prices on the competitive export position of the United States synthetic textile industry. The Commission undertook to report on this before the October Council. The Council also approved the opening of discussions between the Community and manioc suppliers about the present tariff concession.

On the draft decision on steel aids, my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Industry informed the Council that we could lift our reserve, subject to parliamentary debate.

In a review of the work of the specialised councils, the Council took note of the Finance Council's decision to hold a further discussion of the Commission reference paper on budgetary questions on 15 October. It also discussed the preparations for the meeting of Energy Ministers to be held in Paris on 26 September as a follow-up to the Tokio summit. There was a brief exchange of views on the cuts made by the Budget Council when it established the 1980 draft budget.

Further consideration was given to the draft mandate for negotiations with Portugal on a revision of the 1972 free trade agreement. The main issue concerned the Portuguese request to continue quota restrictions on vehicle imports.

There was agreement that the holding of the review negotiations on the EEC—Israel Treaty of 1975 should be conditional on the prior removal of the tariff discrimination which Israel practises towards exports from the three newer members of the Community. In the light of Israel's response, the Community

£'000
	1975	1976	1977	1978
Nigeria	5,814 (713)	5,519 (421)	5,997 (384)	9,811 (288)
Botswana	4,757 (138)	6,567 (195)	5,736 (190)	5,639 (176)
Tanzania	4,054 (240)	4,440 (460)	6,685 (599)	10,363 (782)
Zambia	9,900 (274)	11,373 (344)	12,584 (464)	33,316 (563)
Mozambique	25 (—)	19 (—)	2,899 (25)	5,831 (12)

These figures include investment expenditure by the Commonwealth Development Corporation—particularly significant for Nigeria in 1978. Certain other aid to Nigeria was supplied on the basis of 32W would consider again Israeli requests for a tariff concession on oranges and a prolongation of her tariff dismantlement programme.

The Council took note of papers by France and the Commission on the reform of the supply provisions of the Euratom Treaty and had a general discussion of the issues. It agreed that the papers should be studied further by the Commission assisted by representatives of the member States.

The Council also agreed mandates for the Commission to negotiate a nuclear safeguards agreement between Euratom and Australia, and for Community participation in negotiation of a draft IAEA convention on physical protection of nuclear materials.

The first negotiating meeting at ministerial level in the Spanish accession negotiations took place following the Council. Statements were exchanged on the principles of Spain's integration into the Customs Union.