§ Mr. Hickmetasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the European Community Industry-Steel Council of Ministers meeting held on 17 December.
§ Mr. Norman LamontThe main issue at the Council, at which I represented the United Kingdom, was the Commission's proposal to make certain amendments to the steel aids code, intended to help achieve the central objective of terminating aids to steelmakers by the end of 1985. although some progress was made, agreement was not reached and discussion will be continued at a further Council planned for January. The Council also considered proposals for certain technical amendments to the ECSC article 58 quota arrangements, and will pursue this issue, too, in January. The Commission reported on the market situation in ferrous scrap, and said that there were no grounds at present for export controls, but that if the volume of EC exports increased beyond the current level of 6 million tonnes, if prices increased further and if there was a reduction in supplies to the Community market, the Commission would submit to the Council proposals for export restrictions.
The Council also reviewed the progress made to date in the field of telecommunications, and endorsed broad objectives giving direction to future work; agreed to study further the question of Community tariffs on consumer electronics and semi-conductors; and resolved a number of technical issues on the proposed Regulation on non-energy raw materials exploration loans.