HC Deb 22 July 1987 vol 120 cc220-1W
Sir Philip Goodhart

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report a statement on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council held on 20 July.

Mrs. Chalker

I attended the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on 20 July.

The Council agreed a programme of work on the future financing of the Community. It reflects United Kingdom priorities satisfactorily.

The Council reaffirmed its concern at the possible consequences for bilateral and world trade of United States trade legislation; and the Community's determination to respond to any United States restrictive measures in accordance with its GATT rights, if necessary. The Council asked the Commission to continue to make every effort to reach a satisfactory settlement with the United States in the dispute over export restitutions on pasta and agreed that the Community would need to respond to any restrictive measures unilaterally imposed by the United States.

The Council noted that reasonable, if modest, progress had been made in the Community's negotiations with Japan to reduce barriers to trade in a number of sectors (motor vehicles, cosmetics, medical equipment), but that there was a need for quicker progress on a wider range of sectors and the establishment of timetables for the implementation of measures already agreed.

The Council adopted the annual report on EC/EFTA Co-operation. Ministers welcomed the progress which had been made towards the achievement of a wider European economic area and stressed the importance of keeping up the momentum as the EC made progress in the internal market.

The Council discussed but did not approve a Commission proposal for a phased reduction of the crisis levy imposed in 1981 on the emoluments of Community officials. A staff request for conciliation was agreed.

The Presidency reported to the Council that agreement had been reached on the Framework Programme for Research and Development for 1987–1991. The agreement implements the proposal put to the European Council by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.