§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held in Brussels on 27 and 28 March 1995.
The Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Earl Howe):At this meeting the Council again considered possible rules on the transport of live animals. The Commissioner floated some new ideas which would protect animal welfare better than those in the current Presidency compromise. It was agreed that these should be examined at official level before the Council returns to the subject in May with a view to reaching a final conclusion. The Council also discussed the agri-monetary effects of the recent 98WA turbulence on international currency markets, as a result of which certain green currencies may need to be revalued according to the Community rules. A further Council will be held on 10 April to take decisions on this aspect, but the Commission indicated they would use their powers to ensure that revaluations did not come into effect before 5 May.
The 10 April Council meeting is also expected to take decisions on the reform of the Community sugar regime. At this meeting we again argued that any cuts in sugar quotas necessary for the Community to meet its GATT commitments should be targeted on those countries with the largest surpluses.The Council extended the marketing years for milk and beef since farm prices for 1995–96 have not yet been set.In other discussions the United Kingdom strongly opposed any proposal to place limits on nitrates in lettuce which cannot be fully justified by the scientific evidence.