§ Mr. Colin Shepherdasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Council of Agriculture Ministers meeting in Brussels on 8 and 9 March; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithI represented the United Kingdom at the meeting of the Agricultural Council in Brussels on 8 and 9 March.
The major part of this meeting was devoted to the changes to support arrangements for fruit and vegetables and olive oil needed to prepare the way for the accession of Spain and Portugal to the Community. Although no agreement was reached, there was a further clarification of the various outstanding issues; a progress report will be submitted to the European Council on 21–22 March.
At the meeting I pressed the Commission to take urgent action to deal with the export from France of cheap alcohol which is seriously damaging producers in the United Kingdom and in other member states. I also stated our strong disapproval of the Commission's proposal to 462W reintroduce its normal export refund arrangements for butter sold to the Soviet Union. I emphasised that, if it proceeded with this, the two member states which had used the absence of such measures as a pretext for blocking the formal adoption of the New Zealand import quota for 1983 should now lift their reserves.