§ Mr. Nichollsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will report on the outcome of the Council of Agriculture Ministers' meeting in Brussels on 16 and 17 March.
§ Mr. JoplingTogether with my hon. Friend the Minister of State, I represented the United Kingdom at the meeting of the Agriculture Council which took place on 16 and 17 March; this was a continuation of the previous meeting.
The Council's discussions concentrated on price levels and support measures for the various commodity sectors other than milk, and on the detailed rules for calculating monetary compensatory amounts. While substantial progress was made, no overall agreement was reached. Other member states, along with the United Kingdom, maintained reserves. As well as a reserve on the outcome as a whole, I maintained specific reserves on beef and sheep. The Presidency will be reporting to the European Council, which is itself meeting today and tomorrow, on the stage reached in the negotiations at this Agriculture Council.
The Agriculture Council is due to meet again on Monday and Tuesday 26–27 March. It will then need to consider the position reached in the light of the conclusions of the European Council.