§ Mr. Maclennanasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting of the Council of Agriculture Ministers on 9 and 10 February.
§ Sir Peter Millsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Council of Agriculture Ministers' meeting held in Brussels on 9–10 February; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerI represented the United Kingdom at the meeting of the Council of Agriculture Ministers in Brussels on 9 and 10 February.
The Council had before it the detailed regulations for implementing the December decisions on beef, milk and socio-structures.
The Council agreed the implementing measures on beef.
On milk, there were differences of view about how the intervention system should be changed and about the rules for paying compensation for temporary suspensions of quota. I insisted that the arrangements agreed must be consistent with the intentions of the December agreement.
A regulation amending the rules relating to the financing of a major disposal of butter stocks was agreed. This provides for the cost of a disposal programme to be financed over the years 1989 to 1992. This proposal was endorsed by the Council in December.
On socio-structures, the Council was unable to reach agreement, particularly on the rules relating to early retirement and to extensification of production.
Discussions on milk and socio-structures will be resumed at an additional Council meeting on 23 February.
The Council endorsed arrangements for a further year which give the Commission powers to implement obligatory distillation of wine. Agreement was also 289W reached (with the United Kingdom abstaining) on a measure which changes the arrangements in Ireland for paying grants on pigmeat marketing and processing, without however, increasing the total allocation of aid to Ireland.