§ Mr. HagueTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held on 4 and 5 February; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. GummerI represented the United Kingdom at this meeting together with my hon. Friend, the Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry), the Parliamentary-Secretary in my Department.
The Council had before it a Commission paper on the future of the common agricultural policy. This contained few figures and made no specific proposals, but suggested that a revised common agricultural policy should have as a principal aim keeping as many farmers as possible on the land. The revised policy could involve significantly lower prices and higher direct payments to producers, the latter being modulated in favour of small producers.
I welcomed the Commission's willingness to contemplate radical reform of the common agricultural policy, but pointed out that the Commission's ideas seemed likely to involve a considerable increase in Community expenditure, probably to levels well above the agreed guideline; would place the more efficient and competitive Community producers at a disadvantage compared to their international competitors; and would involve unacceptable discrimination between member states. Several other Ministers expressed similar hesitations.
It is not clear what action the Commission will now take. It must in any case shortly produce price proposals for 1991–92 but Ministers made it clear that these were a separate matter.
The Council voted (with the United Kingdom voting against) to bring producers' direct sales of yogurt, ice cream and certain other milk products within the scope of Community rules on milk quotas for the first time. It was not possible, on this occasion, to complete parliamentary scrutiny of changes to the milk quota arrangements prior to adoption. This was due to the Commission's precipitate action in bringing the matter before the Council and the Presidency's putting the matter to the vote.