CYPHER/CAT A
FM UKDEL EC BRUSSELS 091313Z
RESTRICTED
FRAME
RGDYN
10601 1972
RESTRICTED
PKI 6/8
'72
to Briley 244 13/1 W
Phare con
матриар
She we
95
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TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 1943 OF 9 NOVEMBER/INFO PRIORITY BONN BRUSSELS
COPENHAGEN DUBLIN THE HAGUE LUXEMBOURG PARIS ROME UKMIS GENEVA
MY SAVING TELEGRAM 297 TO FCO OF 4 OCTOBER
GATT TEXTILES STUDY
LAST
NIK.
RIP.
96
*
1. THE E E C COUNCIL CO-ORDINATING GROUP ON THE G A T TTEXTILE
WORKING PARTY MET IN BRUSSELS ON 8 NOVEMBER. THE UK WAS REPRESENTED BY POWNALL AND HALL (DTI) AND DE FONBLANQUE (UKDEL).
2. MOST OF THE DISCUSSION CENTRED ON THE DETAIL OF DRAFT
COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE G A T T STUDY DOCUMENT PREPARED BY THE COMMISSION. ON CHAPTER 2 OF THE STUDY (INTERNATIONAL TRADE) THE COMMISSION URGED THE PROVISION OF STATISTICS OF U K CLOTHING
IMPORTS ON A WEIGHT BASIS, WHICH ALTHOUGH TECHNICALLY DIFFICULT TO
PRODUCE, WOULD ALLOW PRESENTATION OF COMBINED DATA FOR THE ENLARGED COMMUNITY. WE SAID THAT WE WOULD DO OUR BEST TO PROVIDE ESTIMATES, BUT THESE MIGHT TURN OUT TO CONTAIN SUCH A MARGIN OF ERROR AND TAKE
SO LONG TO PREPARE THAT THEY COULD NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. AFTER THE MEETING THE COMMISSION REPRESENTATIVE (LEHEMBRE) ACCEPTED
THAT IT WOULD NOT BE A DISASTER IF THIS DATA COULD NOT BE PRODUCED.
3. ON CHAPTER 3 OF THE STUDY THERE WAS A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF DICUSSION ON THE HOURLY LABOUR COST DATA (WAGES AND SALARIES)
PRODUCED BY THE E E C STATISTICAL OFFICE. IT WAS AGREED THAT THE
COMMISSION SHOULD TRY TO INCLUDE MORE RECENT FIGURES AND THEIR CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE FIGURES PRODUCED BY OTHER COUNTRIES, AFTER
DISCUSSION WITH THE GATT SECRETARIAT.
4. THE FRENCH DELEGATION CIRCULATED A REDRAFT OF THE PROPOSED
COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION TO CHAPTER 4 OF THE G A T T STUDY. THIS
WAS ACCEPTED SUBJECT TO SOME DETAILED COMMENTS BY THE GERMANS.
5. ON CHAPTER 6 THERE WAS A LENGTHY DISCUSSION INITIATED BY THE
RESTRICTED
/ITALIANS ON THE DESIRABILITY