RESTRICTED
A SERIES OF LISTS OF COUNTRIES (O E C D (EXCLUDING JAPAN), CAIT GENERAL, E AREA, E GERMANY) TO WHICH PROGRESSIVELY TIGHTER RESTRICTIONS APPLIED. IN SOME CASES FRANCE HAD SPECIAL RELATIONS (EG WITH ISRAEL, TUNISIAI, LAOS, N AND S VIETNAM) WHICH LED TO THESE COUNTRIES BEING GIVEN SPECIAL QUOTA TREATMENT, LARGELY FOR
POLITICAL REASONS. IN PRINCIPLE IMPORTS FROM ANY COUNTRY WITH
WHICH FRANCE DID NOT HAVE A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WERE RESTRICTED
AND A LICENCE APPLICATION MIGHT BE REFUSED (THIS WOULD FOR EXAMPLE
APPLY TO AUSTRALIA) IN PRACTICE, IMPORTS MAY BE LICENCED
津
AGAINST SPECIFIC QUOTAS WHERE THESE HAVE BEEN OPENED OR AGAINST A
GLOBAL QUOTA BASED ON THE QUANTITIES WHICH FRANCE CONSIDERS IT
IS REASONABLE FOR HER TO ACCEPT FROM ALL RESTRICTED SOURCES.
IN LINE WITH OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS, FRANCE WAS WILLING TO SET
OUT THE DETAILS ON PAPER. THE ITALIANS EXPLAINED THAT THEY
DIVIDED NON-COTTON TEXTILE IMPORTS INTO THREE CATEGORIES: SILK PRODUCTS (RESTRICTED FROM ALL SOURCES EXCEPT EEC): A LIST (GATT EXCLUDING JAPAN) FOR WHICH THERE WERE NO RESTRICTIONS (SOME 10 HEADINGS FROM JAPAN RESTRICTED): B LIST (OTHERS) GENERALLY
RESTRICTED. BENELUX CONFIRMED THAT THEY OPERATED NO RESTRICTIONS
ON A LIST COUNTRIES OTHER THAN JAPAN.
3. TC START DISCUSSION OF A COMMON COMMUNITY LIST OF SENSITIVE
ITEMS, THE COMMISSION PRESENTED A TABLE OF IMPORT STATISTICS (REF 11/120/73-F) FOR POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE PRODUCTS IMPORTED INTO
THE COMMUNITY. THESE IMMEDIATELY CAME UNDER FIRE FROM FRANCE SAID
THEY INCLUDED RE-EXPORTS WHICH, IN THE FRENCH VIEW, MADE THEM
UNACCEPTABLE. THE BELGIANS DID NOT AGREE. AT A BELGIAN REQUEST
THE COMMISSION AGREED TO PRODUCE A BREAKDOWN OF IMPORTS BY FOUR -
FIGURE HEADINGS AND BY COUNTRY BUT THIS WAS LIKELY TO TAKE SOME
TIME.
4. FRANCE URGED THAT BEFORE CONSIDERING THE COMMISSION'SLIST
IF WAS NECESSARY TO DISCUSS PRINCIPLES AND TO RELATE THIS ASPECT
OF COMMUNITY TEXTILES POLICY TO WHAT WAS HAPPNEING ON THE GATT
FRONT. THE FRENCH AUTHORITIES THOUGHT THAT THE COMMUNITY SHOULD
INTRODUCE COMPREHENSIVE CONTROLS AND THEN ALLOCATE GENEROUS QUOTAS
FOR PRODUCTS WHICH WERE NOT CURRENTLY SENSITIVE SO THAT IMPORT
LEVELS COULD BE CUT BACK QUICKLY IN CASE OF NEED. THE COMMUNITY'S
PRESENT SAFEGUARD PROCEDURES FOR LIBERALISED PRODUCTS WERE
INADEQUATE. FRANCE WAS PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT IMPORTS
FROM MACAO, WHERE THE FLOW OF SOME ITEMS (EG MMF SHIRTS) HAD
REACHED WHAT THE FRENCH REGARDED AS INTOLERABLE LEVELS. THE
COMMISSION MERE PRESSED TO ASK THE PORTUGUESE COVERNMENT FOR
CONSULTATIONS WHICH, WHILE URGENT NEED NOT TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER
2 RESTRICTED
/GERMANY'S