§ 25. Mr. LuffTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what studies he has conducted into the impact of enlargement of the European Union on the British horticulture industry. [21629]
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§ Mr. BoswellThe enlargement of the European Union will present challenges and opportunities to the British horticulture industry. Its impact will, as for other sectors, depend on a number of factors including economic developments in the industry, the policies pursued both here and in the prospective new member states in the pre-accession period and the arrangements for horticultural products agreed during the enlargement negotiations. The European Council in Madrid has requested the Commission further to evaluate the effects of enlargement on Community agricultural policies and these reports will be reviewed at its next meetings.