§ Lord Stoddart of Swindonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to ensure that the EC position on agriculture in the current GATT negotiations is modified so as to achieve an acceptable compromise and what arrangements exist to alter the EC negotiating mandate, if this becomes necessary to save the GATT talks from collapse.
§ The Minister of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Trefgarne)Her Majesty's Government is working in co-operation with its EC partners and others to ensure that the negotiations on agriculture in the GATT Uruguay Round are brought to a successful conclusion. Ministers from the developed countries, meeting at the OECD, recently committed themselves to work for a framework agreement by the July meeting of the GATT Trade Negotiations Committee. The EC's negotiating position is regularly reviewed by the Article 113 Committee of senior officials and by the Council of Ministers.