Delay Likely On Rules For Mutton

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29983, 19 November 1962, Page 11

Delay Likely On Rules For Mutton

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright) BRUSSELS, November 17. British and Common Market negotiators today expressed cautious optimism at the end of the thirteenth round of the year-old negotiations on Britain’s bid to join the Common Market. The Dutch chairman of the talks, Mr Hans van Houten, said at a press conference today after a three-day Ministerial meeting, that the Six were still working on the assumption that Britain would become a member of the community by January', 1964.

The Six this week told Britain it was unlikelv the E.E.C. would be able to work out common regulations for mutton and lamb before Britain joined the Common Market.

The Six told the chief British negotiator (Mr Heath) that in the meantime Britain would have to apply the Community’s common external tariff on mutton and lamb when she joined the Community. But Britain would probably be granted a temporary suspension of the tariff or a duty-free quota. Mr van Houten said the mutton and lamb proposals would be studied by senior officials from Britain and the Six. He said Mr Heath would consult the New Zealand Government on the mutton and lamb proposals. During this week’s latest talks, the Six proposed that the enlarged European Economic Community could reduce to “nil” its common external tariff on kangaroo, hare, and rabbit meat. But Mr Heath was unable to accept the Six’s “package" proposals for a list of 75 processed foods. Mr Heath and the Six were unable to agree on Britain’s demand for a nil tariff on aluminium and newsprint The problem of lead and zinc—on which Britain has asked for an abolition of the common external draft—was not discussed, because the Six had not been able to reach a common position.

The next Ministerial meeting of the seven wii be on December 10, 11 and 12—to be followed by another meeting on December 19, 20 and 21. British and Common Mar-

ket delegation sources did not not claim that the points agreed on this week represented a big step ahead in the negotiations. But they pointed out that agreement on these points would help to dispel pessimism surrounding the talks since the deadlock on British agriculture at last month's Ministerial meeting.

N.Z. VIEW “U.K. Separate Market” (N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON. Nov. 18. The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Marshall) said tonight in discussing the Brussels talks that the New Zealand position was that the United Kingdom should remain as a separate market with free and unrestricted access for New Zealand and Australian mutton and lamb, as at present. There had been no arrangements yet made for any special discussions between Mr Heath and the New Zealand Government, but New Zealand was always available for such consultations, which had been regular and continuous up to the present. The New Zealand proposition was a practical one because mutton and lamb were not eaten much in Europe. A separate market would not require a common agricultural policy now or after the United Kingdom entered the Common Market. But whether this arrangement was accepted was more a matter for the United Kingdom than for the Six, who would not, he believed, raise obstacles to the continuation of this established trade in mutton and lamb.