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CABINET MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE ON EUROPE
MEETING AT 09.45 HRS. ON TUESDAY 23 OCTOBER
Generalised Preferences Scheme (GPS)
73.
At its meeting on 23 October the Committee will have before
it two Papers on GPS: EUM (73), which has been prepared by the
Department of Trade and Industry and deals in general terms with
the GPS, and EUM (73)71, which has been prepared by the Foreign
and Commonwealth Office, and deals with the problem of the
exclusion from the Community's CPS of Hong Kong's textile
and footwear exports. These two Papers are inter-related.
EUM (73)71
2. This is an F.C.O. paper based on a decision by the Secretary
of State. We have been under considerable pressure from the
Hong Kong Authorities to reopen with our partners the question of
the exclusion of Hong Kong's textile and footwear exports from
the Community's GSP. The recommendation in EUM (73)71 is that
we should try to seek improvements in this area during the
1974 annual review. We should, however, put the Community on
notice that we shall be doing this. It is important that other
Whitehall Departments, particularly the DTI, should accept this.
We understand that their Ministers are being briefed to do so.
.../3.