§ Mr. Anthony CoombsTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held in Brussels on 21 February; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardI represented the United Kingdom at this meeting of the Agriculture Council, which concluded its business on 21 February.
The Council had a first discussion of the 1994 farm price proposals. The discussion was televised and relayed direct to representatives of the press. I expressed the United Kingdom's initial reaction to the proposals, noting in particular the need for the Council's decisions to accord with budgetary discipline. The Council will examine the proposals in greater detail at its next session.
The Council adopted unanimously two decisions permitting France and Italy to pay national aids for wine distillation in the 1993–94 marketing year. I took the opportunity to obtain confirmation from Commissioner Steichen that the Commission had initiated the procedure to confirm that one of the French national aids to the pig sector was incompatible with the treaty, and I pressed him to act quickly on the other.