Ministers back 10m EU export push
20 July 1999
Ministers back £10m EU export push
By Philip Clarke, Europe editor
PLANS for an export programme to boost sales of European Union products in Third Country markets have been widely supported by farm ministers in Brussels.
Only the UK, Sweden and Germany out of the 15 member states doubted the benefits of such a scheme to promote European produce as export refunds are reduced.
Other delegations had problems with some of the specifics of a commission proposal and in particular, there was no support for compulsory co-financing.
Many delegates, however, said that more money would be needed than the 
15 million (£9.9m) Brussels proposes would fund the scheme every year.
The European Commission has suggested that national governments and promotional bodies would match the funding on a 50-50 basis.