Britain agrees to resist E.E.C. lamb regulation

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33775, 22 February 1975, Page 9

Britain agrees to resist E.E.C. lamb regulation

(N Z PA. Staff Correspondents LONDON, Feb. 18.

Britain has agreed to resist any Common Market sheepmeat regulation that would hit New Zealand’s traditional lamb trade. The agreement came in a meeting between the Prime Minister (Mr Rowling) and the British Minister of Agriculture (Mr Fred Peart) in London. Mr Peart will make a formal statement on Britain’s attitude towards an E.E.C. sheepmeats policy, at the next meeting of the Council of Agriculture Ministers in Brussels on March 3.

Mr Rowling said that he and Mr Peart had agreed on the text of the statement. He did not give details, but said: “It is what we have sought. It will be a firm

i statement.■ without equivoca-| Ition.” His remarks indicate that) the British Government will* oppose any E.E.C. sheep- 1 meats regulation that does| not provide significant safe-ii guards for New Zealand lamb exports to Britain. h h 78 PER CENT i New Zealand still sells! about 78 per cent of all its exported lamb, in terms of value, to Britain. In the last 1 week in London, Mr Rowling has made clear his con- i cem about the threatened h E.E.C. sheepmeats policy | * and has emphasised the ini- i portance of the traditional < lamb trade to the British housewife. 1

Mr Rowling told the British Prime Minister (Mr Wilson) last week that he was worried about the E.E.C. tariff, now 12 per cent, which was affecting returns to New Zealand farmers. The British and New Zealand Governments fear that 1 a Common Market regu-i

(lation on mutton and lamb i imports would follow the ■ | lines of the beef policy. This | provides stringent barriers against imports from outside I the Nine, imposes heavy tariffs, and has been blamed II for the Common Market’s | periodic controversial beef mountain. i FIRM PRINCIPLE Although there is no immediate pressure within the Nine for a sheepmeats regulation, it remains a firm policy principle. The E.E.C. I Commission was charged I with drawing up a draft regulation last ve.tr, but this did not materialise.

Mr Rowling was clearly I happy today with the British | Government’s assurances. Mr Peart's statement next! month has nothing to do with Britain's bid to renegotiate its Common Mar- i ket entry terms, but New | Zealand will welcome a pub-1 lie assurance of British in-' tentions to safeguard the •vital lamb trade.