N.Z. ACCESS Brussels officials deny pressure

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33775, 22 February 1975, Page 16

N.Z. ACCESS Brussels officials deny pressure

r.V.Z P.A Staff Correspondent

LONDON, February 21.

New Zealand officials in Brussels have denied reports that the Prime Minister (Mr Rowling) has been pressing British Ministers to raise the question of continued access for New Zealand dairy produce within the context of European Economic Community renegotiations, according to the “Financial Times.”

The newspapers Brussels correspondent,' Robin Reeves, says the officials have pointed out that the decision to raise the issue of New Zealand dairy produce as part of the renegotiation was a British initia-i tive. Renegotiation was not, Mr Ro-ling had already made clear, a matter in which New Zealand wished to interfere. The "Economist” magazine says that the E.E.C. budget and New Zealand's position likely to be the only outstanding renegotiation issues at the Dublin summit on March 10 and 11.

>ot specific

It reports on the visit of Mr Rowling in a Brusselsdatelined story headlined: "Making Renegotiation Hay.” It points out that Mr Rowling was “quick to seize the chance the British gave him” to press for a better deal. Easier access for New Zealand butter and cheese "was suddenly promoted into a major issue by Mr Harold Wilson himself.”

The “Economist” says that the less specific the London proposals on New Zealand’s dairy trade, the easier it will be for the rest of the nine E.E.C. countries to accept them.

Mr Rowling ts in Paris, from where the London corr’soondent of “The Press,” Charles Cooper, reports that the Prime Minister is well pleased w th his first discussions on continuing access to the E.E.C. for New Zealand, and improved prices for dairy products in Britain.

Soon after his arrival. Mr Rowling met the French Minister of Agriculture (Mr Jean-Francois Deniau) and outlined to him the changes that New Zealand would like to achieve: a guarantee of continuing access, a new price base coupled with an annual revue, the acceptance of quotas in milk equivalents, and the abandonment of digression, which annually reduces New Zealand’s allowable quotas. Mr Rowling said that the French attitude had been cordial and responsive—but with reservations over the degree of change that New Zealand was seeking. Frozen lanib However, there had been an immediate response when he had introduced the suggestion that France might review its attitude to its global frozen lamb quota. It had been at 3000 tons last year, but then there had been a total prohibition. Mr Rowling asked if France would now consider a ceiling of 6000 tons, in the light of market needs, and said that New Zealand would be happy to take its chances on getting a share of the trade. Mr Deniau had said that he would make immediate inquiries, and that New Zealand could expect an answer within 10 days. Mr Rowling said that his impression was that if it were at all possible the French could be expected to give a favourable answer. Mr Rowling admitted that

he French Minister was iomewhat surprised by the iegree of change that New Zealand wanted away from :he provisions of the original form of Protocol 18. He had said that they were quite major changes and that they would need lengthy consideration —even though the end result would produce no significantly greater quantities of New Zealand dairy products on the British market than at present. The Press Association reports that a flurry of diplomatic activity is certain in the next few weeks as the Nine try to reach an outline agreement before the Dublin summit. The Minister of Overseas Trade (Mr Walding) plans to stand by in London ready to fly to any of the capitals to explain the New

Zealand position if need be. Mr Rowling left Bonn yesterday obviously delighted with assurances of support he received from the West German Government after a tough session with members of the E.E.C. Commission in Brussels on Monday night. Today, Mr Rowling will take his case to President Giscard d’Estaing, who will be at the Dublin- summit, and to the French Prime Minister (Mr Chirac), a former Agriculture Minister noted for his tough bargaining around E.E.C. tables. Mr Rowling has no illusions that the French—who see themselves as guardians of the Market’s Common Agricultural Policy —will be easily persuaded to make concessions for New Zealand.