§ Mr. MossTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held on 25 and 26 March; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerI represented the United Kingdom at this meeting together with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my hon. Friend the Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry), Parliamentary Secretary in my Department.
Discussion concentrated on the Commission's proposals for the 1991 price fixing. Most member states argued that the agricultural guideline should be increased purportedly to take account of German unification. This would allow for a laxer settlement and temporarily enable the Council to avoid some of the difficult issues. I argued strongly, with support from my Netherlands colleague, that the major problems stemmed from market imbalance in several sectors and that these should be addressed as a matter of urgency, so that a decision fully compatible with the guideline could be reached. The Commission also remained firmly of this view.
I also argued that substantial steps should be taken towards eliminating monetary compensatory amounts by adjusting green currencies, including the full alignment of the rate for the green pound. This is necessary to allow the single market to function effectively and to ensure fair competition between producers and traders in all member states.
I also raised the continuing problem of low-priced imports of soft fruit from eastern Europe. Despite initial hesitations the Commission indicated that they would extend the present safeguard measures until 31 July.