asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries whether any progress towards a common organisation of the sheepmeat market was made at recent EEC Council meetings; and the proposals, if any, that were made by him.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sheepmeat Market.
5.
The Commission's proposal for a transitional common organisation of the market for sheepmeat was discussed at the meeting of the Council of Minister's on 15th/16th December. In the discussion, it was clear that the positions of some member States are very far apart. I pointed out the shortcomings of the proposal from our point of view and urged that it should be amended so as to include worthwhile support for sheep producers, adequate control of imports from non-member countries and precise arrangements for phasing out the proposed compensatory amounts on imports into France from Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Recent meetings of the Council were devoted almost entirely to the fixing of agricultural prices for 1976-77. It was, however, agreed at my instigation that the question of sheepmeat should be taken up again at the first meeting after the price-fixing. This will take place on 5th/6th April.
I do not want to go too deeply into the question of the importation of frozen meat. I have a question down on that for next week. Surely even if there is not a sheep policy, the Treaty of Rome has to be respected in regard to the importation of sheep. The general principles of the Treaty of Rome have been broken brazenly with regard to Ireland getting into the French market. Would the Minister agree that the general principles of the Treaty of Rome have been broken? Surely something can be done about that. If not, the Community seems to be falling asunder.
My opinion more or less coincides with the Deputy's opinion. We asked the Commission some months ago for a formal opinion and they gave an opinion in favour of the French.
How could they reconcile this with the Treaty of Rome? An explanation is needed because this is the most brazen breach of the Treaty of Rome of which I know.
I can only tell the Deputy they gave that as a formal opinion.