E.E.C. butter decision ‘helpful’

Press, 15 December 1983, Page 3

E.E.C. butter decision ‘helpful’

NZPA Wellington European agriculture ministers have given New Zealand a poor substitute for a long-term arrangement on butter sales, the Minister of Overseas Trade, Mr Cooper, said yesterday. But, he was glad the ministers had decided to allow 13,833 tonnes into Europe in January and February, pending a decision on the rest of 1984, said Mr Cooper. The agreement by the 10 ministers was “helpful ... it would have been diabolically bad if we hadn’t got the roll-over,” he said. Mr Cooper said that the agreement reached in Brussels was “not a real decision. It simply shifts the date forward for a couple of months and gives them more time to think through the problems of the budget in the European Community.” However, he said: “I am glad we got to where we are, it could have been so much worse.” Sales to Britain could have stopped at the end of this month if the temporary agreement had not been reached. The amount agreed to is

one sixth of the 83,000 tonnes the E.E.C. commission had proposed for 1984, and 4000 tonnes less than this year’s quota of 87,000 tonnes. Agreement yesterday had at one stage looked doubtful after the Irish agriculture minister, Mr Austin Deasy, took a tough stand on continued New Zealand imports. Irish sources said after Monday’s meeting that they thought the most he would agree to was 5000 tonnes for January. The French agriculture minister, Mr Michel Rocard, also wanted a lower figure than the E.E.C. agriculture commissioner, Mr Poul Dalsager, proposed as a temporary arrangement. Mr Dalsager had suggested 20,750 tonnes for three months, a quarter of the 83,000 tonnes proposed for the whole year. Mr Deasy and Mr Rocard eventually agreed to go along with the other eight council members when they resumed their meeting yesterday. “They were not very keen about it,” a British spokesman said. Britain also agreed reluctantly, but. for different

reasons. Its agriculture minister, Mr Michael Jopling, had pressed ministers to agree to a three-months roll-over into 1984 based on the 1983 quota, rather than the quota proposed for next year. The temporary arrangement was made with the agreement of New Zealand, the British spokesman said. The British delegation was in touch with Mr Cooper overnight, before coming back to the council table yesterday. Ministers stressed that the arrangement was without prejudice to the final figure for 1984. “Today’s interim decision on imports for New Zealand butter does not prejudice the final decision of the council on this matter,” they said. The New Zealand quota will come up for discussion again at the February agriculture council meeting. “It could be a fair old fight again” the British spokesman said. France takes over the E.E.C. presidency from Greece on January 1 and Mr Rocard, who is to visit New Zealand next year, will be in the chair for the February meeting.