§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what change has been made to the European Commission's definition of butter; for what reasons and when the change was made; and how the new definition differs from the old. [4370]
§ Mr. BaldryThere has been no change in the definition of butter for the purposes of administering the preferential access quota for New Zealand butter imports into the EU. The European Commission concluded in June of this year that spreadable butter did not conform with this definition and was not, therefore, eligible for the preferential rate of duty which applies to imports of butter from New Zealand under the GATT current access quota.