For example, different national regimes of quantitative
restrictions are maintained by the individual member states. When these are under consideration in GATT, national spokesmen
reply to criticisms of them. However, when the Common Commercial
Policy is fully enforced, and there is a common liberalisation
list and a common list of restrictions, it would seem very
probable that a commission spokesman will speak for the EEC as a
bloc even though the formal GATT responsibility remains with the
member states as individual contracting parties. The EEC
spokesman at GATT meetings is usually flanked by representatives
of the member states.
6.
Should Britain join EEC, the UK Delegation would form one of the team of member states represented by an ERC spokesman. This would pose obvious difficulties for representation of the special circumstances of Hong Kong or for securing her GATT
rights, particularly vis-a-vis the FTC or member states.
7.
Hong Kong is concerned that should Britain join EEC, Hong Kong will lose her GATT rights vis-a-vis the enlarged community. This derives from the proviso in Article XXIV quoted above which is to the effect that no GATT rights or obligations are created between a metropolitan Customs territory and its dependencies.
Hong Kong fears that where British practices have been harmonised with those of EC member states, she will lose any GAET rights in respect of these practices. We have assured Hong Kong on a number of occasions that we will do cur best, when inside the community, to safeguard their interests.
HONG KONG'S POST ENTRY GATT POSITION
გ.
The alternatives open to Hong Kong would appear to be:
Lt.