§ Lord Mancroftasked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held in Luxembourg on 14th June.
The Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Earl Howe)My right honourable friend the Minister represented the United Kingdom at the meeting of the Agriculture Council on 14th June.
The council formally adopted the legal texts implementing the package of farm prices and related measures which it had agreed at its May meeting.
The council also discussed a number of other proposed measures, without reaching agreement. These included a proposal on the definition and designation of butter and other fats, which my right honourable friend criticised as being unnecessarily elaborate and prescriptive; and a proposed directive on minced meat and other meat preparations, on which our main aim is to avoid excessively strict criteria that would put at risk traditional British products. The council will have to return to these proposals at a later meeting.