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6/31
27 Murch, 1969.
MA
Common Commercial Policy
I reported in my letter 6/31 of 14 January on the action being tak- en by the Commission to prepare proposals for the common com.drcial pol- Aoy which, under the provisions of the Treaty of Romo, should be in operation from 1 January, 1970. Ild a talk with Klcin, in the Commiss- ion, on 26 March which enables me to bring this up to date.
2
Common Liberalisation lists and quintitative restrictions. The Commission lave decided to adopt to industrial acetor approad! rather than to try to cover all the tariff positions not containa in
Ahis means that they ths present liberalisation list in one proposal. will send to the Council a series of proposals dealing with individusi industries or groups of industries. The first proposal, dealing with
In each case the ceramics, is almost ready now and others will follow. Commission will divide the tariff positions in the sector into three categorics, candidates for the common liberalisation list, condidates for curvoillance procedures and candidates for a Community quantitative zzatriction. They will work from the basis of existing national arrang-
..nts. But, Klein assured me, they aro vozy conscious of the necă to
They will store- Achieve the highest possible level of liberalisation. Nero try to shift itcms now restricted in some member states tommpun
But, Kloin made clear, tho Liberalisation or, at least, surveillance.
uid pro wg to the less liberally-minded mombor states will be thad, in a row cases, they will have to propose extension of quantitative res- trictions to cover momber states which do not currently have thom.
3. On this list point Klein admitted that there was bound to be A great deal of difficulty both with the third countries whose intere might be adversely affected and with the more liberal menber stato..
MG P. CVD- The Germone in particular were going to be very difficult.
nouncement of further liberalisation measures in Germany (Bonn HCL. No. 315 of 11 Murch) was hardly a good omen for the Commission. It was obvious that the Council would not in fact take all the necessary däcio- dons this year but the Commission at least hoped to have a complete Det of proposals tabled by the end of the year.
Bilateral Trade arcemonto
3. In this field there have been two new developments since I last wrote. The first, and less important, is that (as reported in our
- telegram No. 19 saving of 30 January) the Council agracd to the exton-
sion of a number of not very important bilateral trade agrecmunta, second is that the Commission tabled proposals, at the end of February, Locking to cotablish guidelines for trade agreements in the post- transitional period stage. These proposals (a copy of which I hope obtain shortly) suggest that all bilateral agreements must in futur fully compatible with a common commercial policy; and must be huge.ELDOR by the Commission.
.D. Ingram Esq.,
BOARD OF TRADE.
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