§ Mr. Aspinwallasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the 29–30 April Foreign Affairs Council.
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§ Sir Geoffrey HoweOur permanent representative to the European Communities represented the United Kingdom at the Foreign Affairs Council held in Luxembourg on 29–30 April. My hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, Pentlands (Mr. Rifkind) was our representative when Ministers of the Ten met in political co-operation on 29 April, immediately prior to the Council.
Consultations were held with a delegation from the European Parliament about the new own resources decision. The text will be formally adopted by the Council as soon as practicable.
The Council discussed the negotiating mandates for the second EC-Yugoslavia financial protocol and the second EC-Malta financial protocol. Both will be considered further at the next Council.
The Council discussed arrangements for signature of the accession treaty for Spain and Portugal.
The Council adopted a declaration concerning EC beef and veal exports to Canada for 1985. The Commission reported on recent contacts with the United States on the implementation of the carbon steel and pipes and tubes export restraint arrangements.
After the Council, a representative of the Angolan Government signed the third Lomé convention. This, together with the signature by Mozambique last December, brings the whole of independent black Africa within the ambit of the convention.
At the political co-operation meeting, Ministers of the Ten had useful exchanges of views on a number of international affairs topics. Statements were issued on the middle east, Sudan, the forthcoming Ottawa meeting on human rights, UNESCO and southern Africa. Copies of these have been placed in the Library of the House.