Close hand on E.E.C.

Press, 7 March 1978, Page 3

Close hand on E.E.C.

From JOHN ROSS in Brussels I The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Taiboys) revealed none of his battle plans for talks on Common Market restraints on New Zealand sheepmeats when he arrived in Brussels last evening. While he acknowledged that the European Commission had held talks with New Zealand Embassy officials in Brussels over the possibility of a Common Market sheepmeat regime, Mr Taiboys would not be I drawn into commenting on | what aspects of the possible system were worrying the New Zealand Government. He would only say that New Zealand would not like to see the same restraints placed on sheepmeats as already applied to beef imports. Mr Talboya said he haa

not seen the commission’s draft proposal, but he had an understanding of some of its contents. Reporters asked Mr Talboys if he agreed with a statement from Common Market sources that New Zealand had obtained the best possible deal from the discussions already held. ‘Tf that were the case, I would not be here,” he said. Mr Taiboys will be in Brussels until Thursday. Mr Taiboys said he might be back in Europe again in April or May, the Press Association reports. By his next visit the com- ■ mission will have made public its proposal on sheepmeats, and Mr Taiboys will try to influence the E.E.C. Agriculture Ministers. He expects to have to go around all nine capitals to do that. i The Ministers will make

the final decision on whether to include sheepmeat — and for New Zealand, that means basically lamb — in the E.E.C.’s Common Agricultural Policy. The aspect of the proposal which most concerns New Zealand, it is believed, is a plan to impose a variable levy system on the 200,000 tonnes of lamb New Zealand sends to Britain every year. New Zealand is believed also to be very concerned about its growing lamb trade with the rest of Europe, particularly Greece, which is in the queue for EmE.C. mem bership. Of all the sheepmeats the (Nine imported last year, 84 per cent came from New Zealand. In terms of export earnings, the threat to New Zealand’s lamb trade is more crucial than the continuing restrictions on its dairy iexports to the E.E.C.