E.E.C. Impasse May Affect U.K.

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29719, 12 January 1962, Page 9

E.E.C. Impasse May Affect U.K.

i N .Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) BRUSSELS, January 10. Common Market Ministers again failed to make any progress today when they continued talks on a common agricultural policy.

Ministers today tackled one of the comer stones of common farm policy, the progressive harmonisation of prices within the community. The French Agricultural Minister (Mr Edgar Pisani) said after this morning’s session that Germany was still isolated on this question. The Germans do not want to accept at the present time any definite time-table or criteria for the progressive harmonisation of prices within the six-year transitional period. They advocated a standstill of maximum and minimum prices for one year, before any further decisions are taken But the French. Dutch and Italians want to lay down now definite principles for the whole of the transitional period. Observers said it was

becoming more and more clear that the talks on Britain’s entry into the Common Market would be seriously retarded or even postponed if the Six could not agree on a common agricultural policy. The negotiations could continue briefly without any mention of agricultural problems, but the point would soon be reached when no further progress could be made without a discussion of temperate-zone agricultural products exported by members of the Commonwealth. Although Britain would not be expected to object to a discussion of agricultural problems, even if the Six had not yet agreed on their own farm policies, there would be serious objections by certain members of the Common Market to such a procedure. France, in particular, was adamant that the Commonwealth’s farm problems should not be discussed as long as the Six were divided on their joint policy. Senior officials from Britain and the Common Market countries who met In Brussels today found that studies concerning Britain’s application for membership had not Ynade as much progress as was hoped, usually reliable sources said. There was some doubt whether sufficient progress had been made to justify a meeting of Ministers on January 18, as was proposed. The officials met today to examine studies made by experts from the seven nations and the Common Market commission over the last few weeks on how certain Commonwealth countries and their exports would ’» affected by Britain becoming a market member. A final decision on whether the Ministers would meet o. January 18 or whether they would postpone their talks until early February would be taken through the usual diplomatic channels, according to sources close to the British delegation