No new move on sheepmeat policy

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32774, 26 November 1971, Page 3

No new move on sheepmeat policy

(From MICHAEL ROBSON. N.Z.P.A. staff correspondent.) LONDON, November 25.

France received little support at a meeting of the Common Market Agricultural Ministers in Brussels yesterday when it again raised the question of a common sheepmeats policy.

Informed sources in Brussels said that the other five E.E.C. members and the Commission all expressed the view that any moves on sheepmeat should wait until after British entry. These same sources said it apeared that the object of the French in bringing up the matter was more to remind the E.E.C. Commissioner for Agriculture (Dr S. Mansholt) that Community policy was the province of the Ministerial Council and not of the Commission. Recently, in Strasbourg, Dr Mansholt had expressed the opinion that having waited so long to introduce a common policy on mutton and lamb, it would not hurt to wait until Britain, the country with the biggest stake, was a member. This apparently upset the French, who are extremely jealous of national rights within the Community. They, therefore, brought the sheepmeats question forward again to emphasise their views on this question. The fact remains, however, that if a sheepmeats policy is to come into operation, it

- will have to be drafted by 8 Commission officials, and it e is apparent that at present 1 no work on any proposal is j being carried out. i