E.E.C. butter decision brings disappointment

Press, 1 March 1984, Page 3

E.E.C. butter decision brings disappointment

PA Wellington The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Overseas Trade, Mr Cooper, expressed disappointment yesterday at the EJE.C.’s failure to agree, on a long-term arrangement for New Zealand butter imports ’ to the United Kingdom. In Brussels, E.E.C. Agriculture Ministers agreed to another month’s rollover of New Zealand butter imports. They failed to get agreement on a proposal for a five-year arrangement. The present agreement ends in

The British Agriculture Minister, Mr Michael Jopling, said after the meeting that the Irish would not agree to long-term butter access until the question of the proposed E.E.C. super levy on milk production had been settled.

Mr Cooper said that short-term arrangements were unsatisfactory for the dairy industry. “I had hoped that the understanding we had reached with the Community on continued sensitive market . status for sheepmeat for France and

Ireland would be sufficient to enable agreement to be reached on a reliable fiveyear butter access arrangement,” he said. Mr Cooper said the Irish Government seemed intent on using New Zealand butter access to pressure other Community members to exempt Irish dairy farmers from the proposal to limit milk production. “We will continue to urge our friends in the Community to settle New Zealand’s access issues during March, so that our trade with Europe can return to a more stable basis,” he said.