aptations are called for to reflect the special circumstances of the United Kingdom food trade, and to ensure that our food manufacturers can take maximum advantage of the wider market which will become available to them.
HILL FARMING
150. We have explained to the Community the problems of our hill farming areas, and the policies which have led us to give special assistance to farmers in these areas. Existing member countries face similar problems and within the framework of the common agricultural policy they have adopted a variety of methods to deal with them. They have recognised the need for similar action in those areas of the United Kingdom where special conditions obtain. We shall therefore be able to give the continuing assistance needed to maintain the incomes of farmers in the hill areas.
ANIMAL HEALTH
151. There are differences between the animal disease situation here and in the Community and in the methods of control employed. In particular the Community apply vaccination and slaughter policies against foot and mouth disease and require that cattle passing between member states must have been vaccinated, whereas we rely on a slaughter policy alone. Our aim is to ensure that the progressive improvement of animal health standards will continue in the enlarged Community. We have accordingly proposed that an expert working group including the other applicants should be set up to assess the technical and commercial considerations and the possible measures that might be taken.
FISHERIES
152. We and the other applicant countries have made clear that we do not consider the common fisheries policy, decided upon at the time our negotiations began, to be appropriate to the needs and circumstances of an enlarged Community, particularly in respect of access to fishing grounds. (The common policy does not, of course, affect members' rights to control access to their fishing grounds by non-member countries.) Our own catch is greater than any of those of the existing members of the Community. About two-thirds of our 21,000 fishermen are interested mainly in fishing around our shores, but in terms of value of catch our middle and distant water fleets are of great importance.
153. The Community have agreed that the arrangements governing access to coastal fisheries will have to be reconsidered in the perspective of enlargement and further discussions will be held in the near future. The Government are determined to secure arrangements which will be fair throughout the enlarged Community and will satisfactorily safeguard the interests of British fishermen.
European Coal and Steel Community
154. The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was the first Community established by the Six. It dates from the Treaty of Paris signed in 1951. It is designed to ensure an orderly supply of coal and steel to the Community, whilst at the same time taking account of the needs
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