RESTRICTED
6. FINALLY, HONG KONG COULD TAKE SUITABLY TAILORED UNILATERAL MEASURES. THIS COULD REDUCE THE PRESSURE FOR COMMUNITY ACTION, BUT
CANNOT OF COURSE BE GUARANTEED TO ELIMINATE IT.
7. WE EXPECT THAT AT THE NEXT MEETING OF THE WORKING GROUP THERE WILL BE A MAJORITY IN FAVOUR OF THE COMMISSION'S PROPOSALS BEING REPORTED TO THE COMMITTEE OF PERMAMENT REPRESENTATIVES, ALONG WITH A COMMENTARY BRINGING OUT POINTS OF DISAGREEMENT. IN FURTHER DISCUSS- ION AT WORKING GROUP LEVEL, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE SHOULD SAY, MUCH MORE CLEARLY THAN WE HAVE BEFORE, WHETHER OR NOT WE MAINTAIN OUR OPPOSITION TO THE ISSUE OF A MANDATE FOR NEGOTIATIONS WITH HONG KONG. THE FORMULA RECORDED IN THE LETTER OF 25 APRIL FROM HOPE (DTI) TO DE FONBLANQUE DOES NOT STATE OUR POSITION SUFFICIENTLY CLEARLY, IF WE ARE TO OPPOSE THE MANDATE IN COREPER WE DO NOT WISH TO BE
EXPOSED TO ACCUSATIONS THAT WE ARE GOING BACK ON AN AGREEMENT REACHED
IN THE WORKING GROUP,
8. IT IS, OF COURSE, INVIDIOUS FOR US, BENEFITING FROM AN AGREEMENT WITH HONG KONG, TO ASSERT THAT OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY DO NOT NEED ANYTHING DONE, THAT IN THE LONGER TERM THERE WILL BE A SOLUTION, AND THAT MEANTIME WE OPPOSE PROPOSALS FOR COMMUNITY ACTION WITHOUT HAVING PROPOSALS OF OUR OWN TO PUT FORWARD. WE THEREFORE REQUIRE INSTRUCTIONS ON WHETHER WE SHOULD ADVOCATE A SOLUTION ON THE LINES OF PARA 3 ABOVE (INVOLVING A CONDITIONAL WITHDRAWAL OF OUR OBJECTIONS AGAINST THE ISSUE OF A MANDATE), WHETHER WE MIGHT EXPLORE PARA 4 ABOVE, (WHICH MIGHT NOT FROM OUR OWN NATIONAL POINT OF VIEW BE A DESIRABLE PRECEDENT), OR WHETHER WE MIGHT TRY TO FIND A WAY OF PROMOTING PARA 6. THE SOLUTION IN PARA 5 - IMPORT RESTRICTIONS BY
THE BENELUX WOULD PRESUMABLY BE UNACCEPTABLE ON GENERAL GROUNDS.
FCO PLEASE PASS ADVANCE COPIES TO:-
FCO HALL.
DTI - MISS LOWNE, HOPE.
PALLISER.
REPEATED AS REQUESTED ADVANCED AS REQUESTED
EUROPEAN ECONOMIC DISTRIBUTION
EID HKIOD
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RESTRICTED
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION
FRAME