CONFIDENTIAL
-2-
OF IT IN EUROPEAN EYES IS THAT ALL OTHER EXPORTING COUNTRIES
ARE ACTIVELY SEEKING ARTICLE 4 AGREEMENTS WITH THE COMMUNITY.
5. THE GERMANS WILL NOW CAUCUS HERE ON MONDAY TO COORDINATE
THEIR INTENDED POSITION AT NEXT THURSDAY'S 113 COMMITTEE
MEETING IN BRUSSELS. AT THIS LATTER FRIEDRICH HAS PROMISED THAT
HE WILL INSIST THAT ERNST SET OUT HIS PROPOSED PLAN OF ACTION
TOWARDS US, 1.E. THE FORMAL REQUEST ETC., IN SOME DETAIL.
IN THE LIGHT OF ERNST'S RESPONSE TO THIS THE GERMANS MAY THEN AND
THERE PROPOSE THE 3 MONTH EXTENSION, OR ALTERNATIVELY THEY MAY
SIMPLY BOW TO COMMUNITY PRESSURE FOR AN ARTICLE 4 AGREEMENT
WITH EFFECT FROM 1 OCTOBER, AS ERNST IS CONSISTENTLY URGING
THE. THE GERMANS WILL CAUCUS HERE AGAIN AFTER THE 18 JUNE
MEETING AND ADVISE ME OF THE OUTCOME.
6. MATERIALLY SPEAKING THE GERMANS, INCLUDING FRIEDRICH, WELCOME OR ARE AT WORST INDIFFERENT (AS THEY PUT IT) TO A
3- MONTH EXTENSION, BUT ON THE COMMUNITY FRONT THEY ARE NOT
GOING TO RISK ANTAGONISING THE OTHER 5 ON THE ISSUE. DESPITE THIS
I DOUBT IF AN OUTCOME OF UNITED PRESSURE ON US TO NEGOTIATE
IN, SAY, EARLY JULY IS QUITE INEVITABLE, FRIEDRICH HIMSELF
CAM ROUND FINALLY TO A MUCH LESS PRO-CRNST APPROACH THAN AT THE
START OF OUR TALKS.
7. THE LATEST ARTICLE 113 COMMITTEE AGREEMENTSEEMS TO HAVE
SETTLED THE OVERALL LEVELS AND ALL THE FLEXIBILITY : ROVISIONS BUT HOT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE ACTUAL BASIS FOR CATEGORISATION NOR
SPECIFICALLY THE QUESTION OF FABRICS. THE ADMINISTRATIVE
ARRANGEMENTS ARE AT PRESENT TO BE LEFT APPARENTLY TO THE DIS-
CRETION OF MEMBER STATES WITH THE PRINCIPLE OF ''DOUBLE-CHECK-
ING'' DESIRABLE BUT NO MORE THAN THAT. THUS EFFECTIVELY
THE FRENCH MAY BEABLE TO HOLD THEIR PRESENT GROUND PENDING
PRACTICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FIELD OF UNIFORM COMMUNITY IMPORT
ARRANGEMENTS.
3. THE IMPLIED AGREEMENT IS PRETTY WELL A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE
CURRENT RESTRICTIONS, WITH ITALY THROWN IN, ALL WITH SOME UNIFORM
PRESENTATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS, TO BE OFFERED ON VIRTUALLY A
CONFIDENTIAL
/TAKE-IT-
}
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