AN ILL-STRUCTURED AND INCONCLUSIVE DISCUSSION ABOUT WHICH BODY SHOULD UNDERTAKE THE RE-EXAMINATION FOR SUCH PRODUCTS. IDEAS PUT FORWARD, WITHOUT MUCH CONVICTION, INCLUDED AN AD HOC GROUP, THE STANDING GROUP ON FOODSTUFFS OR LEAVING THE DECISION TO THE COMMISSION. THE COMMISSION WILL COME FORWARD WITH A CLEAR RECOMMENDATION TO COREPER TOMORROW.
3.
THE GROUP THEN WENT THROUGH THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION. THE COMMISSION MADE CLEAR THAT THIS HAD NOW BEEN ADOPTED AND WAS NOT FOR NEGOTIATION. THEY WERE LOOKING FOR EARLY INFORMATION FROM MEMBER STATES ON THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY WERE WILLING TO IMPLEMENT IT. DISCUSSION THEN CONCENTRATED ON THE ACTIVITY LEVELS SET OUT IN PARAGRAPH ONE. THE COMMISSION EXPLAINED THAT THESE WERE BASED ON HALF THE PERMITTED ANNUAL DOSAGE FOR THE MOST SENSITIVE GROUP (ONE YEAR OLD BABIES). GERMANY SUGGESTED THAT THE LEVEL FOR FRUITS AND VEGETABLES SHOULD BE 250, AND THAT THE LEVELS SHOULD BE RE-EXAMINED AFTER 16 MAY. DENMARK AGREED. FRANCE ACCEPTED THE COMMISSION FIGURES BUT AGREED THAT RE-EXAMINATION WOULD BE NECESSARY BY 16 MAY. BELGIUM SAID THEY COULD ACCEPT THE COMMISSION FIGURES. THE NETHERLANDS ARGUED HOWEVER THAT THE FIGURES HAD BEEN SET IN A MOST UNUSUAL WAY BY BASING THEM ON A PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE TARGET GROUP AND ASSUMING 100% CONSUMPTION OF CONTAMINATED FOOD. THE LEVEL OF PERMITTED ACTIVITY SEEMED UNECESSARILY LOW. THE COMMISSION SHOULD COLLECT DATA ON ACTUAL ACTIVITY LEVELS AND THEN DECIDE WHAT STANDARDS TO SET. A RECENT DUTCH MEASUREMENT HAS REVEALED A LEVEL OF OVER 2,000 BECQUERELS PER KG ON FRESH VEGETABLES. THERE WAS A DANGER THAT IF THE LEVEL PROPOSED BY THE COMMISSION WERE ADOPTED COMMUNITY TRADE IN VEGETABLES COULD COME TO A STANDSTILL. THE U.K ECHOED SOME OF THESE CONCERNS AND SAID THAT WE TOO HAD BEEN SURPRISED AT THE SEVERITY OF THE LEVELS SET BY THE COMMISSION. OUR SCIENTIFIC ADVICE SUGGESTED THAT CONSIDERABLY HIGHER LEVELS WOULD BE SATISFACTORY. A PRECIPITATE DECISION BASED ON INADEQUATE DATA SHOULD
BE AVOIDED.
5. THE COMMISSION REITERATED THAT THE RECOMMENDATION WAS NOW ACQUIS. THE ONLY REMAINING QUESTION WAS THE EXTENT TO WHICH MEMBERS STATES WOULD OBSERVE IT. IF THE PRESENT OBSTRUCTIONS TO THE INTERNAL MARKET IN FOODSTUFFS WERE TO BE LIFTED IT WAS PLAINLY IMPORTANT THAT MEMBER STATES ADOPT COMMON STANDARDS. ITALY SAID THAT THEY WERE LIKELY TO BE ABLE TO LIFT THEIR PRESENT CERTIFICATION SYSTEM FOR THOSE COUNTRIES WHICH FELT ABLE TO GIVE ASSURANCES, AS PROPOSED IN THE RECOMMENDATION: THAT THEY WERE APPLYING THE SAME STANDARDS TO EXPORTS AS TO PRODUCE SOLD DOMESTICALLY. GERMANY, FRANCE AND BELGIUM ALL SAID THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE SUCH
ASSURANCES.
6. THE PRESIDENCY SAID THAT THE STATE OF DISCUSSION WOULD BE REPORTED TO COREPER WHO MIGHT WELL WISH TO TAKE IT FURTHER. IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT THE COMMISSION MONITOR MEMBER STATE ACTIVITY AND THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND, AND THAT MEMBER STATES SUPPLY THEM WITH THE INFORMATION NECESSARY FOR THIS.
HANNAY
-3- CONFIDENTIAL
ADVANCE