§ Mr. Brightasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting of the Council of Ministers (Steel) on 3 March.
§ Mr. TebbitI represented the United Kingdom in the discussion of steel matters at the meeting of the Council of Ministers in Brussels on 3 March 1981.
The Council drew up a resolution recognising that the serious crisis in the Community steel industry could not be overcome without substantial reduction in overall crude and finished steel capacity and outlining the way in which the steel problem should be tackled. The Council was of the opinion that to restore competitiveness degressive public aids for the steel industry should be accepted only on a transitional basis, on condition that they contributed directly to its restructuring, and that no further public aid schemes in favour of the steel industry should be introduced after 1 July 1983. The Commission undertook to use its powers to achieve these objectives.
Ministers' discussed the need for orderly marketing arrangements to continue after 30 June 1981, when the present quotas under article 58 terminate, and the Council agreed that to this end the Community steel undertakings should before 1 April 1981 finalise a voluntary arrangement to limit their deliveries within the Community.
The Council is to meet again on 26 March to take the necessary decisions.