§ Mr. AmosTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Council of Agriculture Ministers meeting in Brussels, which reconvened on 23 November.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe Council of Agriculture Ministers met in Brussels on 23–24 November to discuss budgetary stabilisers; that is to say, amendments to the common agricultural policy designed to ensure that its costs can be kept under control, and in particular the proposed stabilisers for a wide range of commodities which the House debated on 24 November.
The Council reconvened yesterday evening for further discussions on the basis of the revised document tabled by the Danish presidency. I greatly regret that, despite lengthy negotiations, it proved impossible to reach agreement. I of course defended the position which I explained to the House during the debate on 24 November.
290WThe lack of agreement will be reported to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs who are meeting informally on Sunday and Monday, prior to the meeting of Heads of Government on 4 and 5 December.
The Council has adopted a decision to allow meat from animals treated with hormones to be traded within the Community for a further 12 months beyond the date of 31 December 1987 laid down in directive 85/649. The effect will be that, for that period, meat (and offals) from animals treated within the Community or in third countries, may be traded in accordance with existing arrangements. The Community deadline of 1 January 1988 for a ban on the administration to livestock of hormones for growth promotion will not be affected; and from that date there will be free trade within the Community in untreated meat. Our producers should benefit from that. The Council took its decision before the normal process of parliamentary scrutiny had been completed.