§ Lord Brougham and Vauxasked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held in Luxembourg on 25 and 26 April.
The Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Earl Howe)This meeting of the Council, at which my right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food represented the United Kingdom, again discussed the Commission's proposals for farm support prices for 1994/95 and related measures. My right honourable friend made it clear that she continued to have a number of objections to the proposals, in particular to the suggested 1 per cent. cut in milk quotas. No decisions were reached and the Council will return to the subject at its May meeting.
There was a brief discussion, initiated by the German Minister, on bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The Agricultural Commissioner, Mr. Steichen, supported my right honourable friend's view that current control measures fully safeguarded public health. The commissioner and several member states also endorsed my right honourable friend's insistence that any further measures must be consistent with scientific advice. He confirmed that it would be unacceptable for a member state to take unilateral measures which interfered with intra-Community trade.
50WAThe Council adopted a proposal to continue assistance to transporters of Greek fruit and vegetables affected by the war in ex-Yugoslavia. Denmark voted against and France abstained.