TAKEN WITHOUT FURTHER CONSULTATION. THE FRENCH ANNOUNCED THE
INTRODUCTION OF SURVEILLANCE LICENSING ON COTTON CLOTH, DRESSES AND SKIRTS, SUITS AND TROUSERS FROM CERTAIN COUNTRIES WITH EFFECT FROM 30 JUNE.
DISCUSSION
1
2. MEYNELL (COMMISSION) CIRCULATED COPIES OF TWO AIDE-MEMOIRES
ADDRESSED BY THE COMMISSION TO THE FRENCH AND SETTING OUT THE
COMMISSION'S VIEWS ON THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE FRENCH NOTICE TO
IMPORTERS. THE FRENCH REQUIREMENT FOR IMPORT LICENCES FOR THESE
PRODUCTS WAS NOT NECESSARILY ILLEGAL IF NO QUANTITATIVE LIMITS
WERE SET AND LICENCES WERE ISSUED FREELY.
3. TESSIER (FRANCE) SAID THAT THE EFFECT OF THE NOTICE TO
IMPORTERS WAS TO REQUIRE IMPORT LICENCES: HOWEVER NO LICENCES WOULD BE ISSUED FOR THE TIME BEING. HIS MINISTER HAD TAKEN NO FINAL DECISION BUT IF UNILATERAL ACTION UNDER ARTICLE 19 WAS
TO BE AVOIDED, THE COMMISSION WOULD NEED TO TAKE MEASURES WHICH
WOULD HAVE AN EQUIVALENT EFFECT. HE MAINTAINED THAT THE FRENCH
ACTION ON THE THREE PRODUCTS COVERED BY DECISIONS 455/72 WAS LEGAL SINCE IT WAS BASED ON THE EMERGENCY PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 4.1.
AS FOR COTTON YARN, IT WAS NOT FRANCE'S FAULT THAT THERE WAS A LEGAL VACUUM ON NATIONAL SAFEGUARDS IN REGULATION 1439/74. HE SAID IT WAS ''AN OBJECTIVE OF THE HIGHEST PRIORITY" TO ENSURE THAT
THE ACCESS RIGHTS UNDER M F A BILATERALS WOULD BE RESPECTED BUT THERE MIGHT BE PROBLEMS FOR SOME SUPPLIERS, PARTICULARLY IN RELATION TO SHIRTS.
4. NEUNDORFER (GERMANY) SAW NO NEED FOR GLOBAL MEASURES, BUT
IF THE STATISTICS SHOWED THAT SOME COMMUNITY MEASURES WERE
JUSTIFIED THIS SHOULD ONLY BE DONE IN ORDER TO AVOID GLOBAL ACTION. WINTERMANS (NETHERLANS) WELCOMED THE FRENCH MEASURES.
GLOBAL ACTION WAS THE ONLY WAY TO DEAL WITH CUMULATIVE DISRUPTION.
WE EMPHASISED THE NEED FOR EQUITY BETWEEN MEMBER STATES IN ANY
MEASURES THE COMMISSION MIGHT TAKE AND THE DESIRABILITY OF
AVOIDING RECOURSE TO ARTICLE 19 IF POSSIBLE.
5. A VERY LENGTHY AND DETAILED COUNTRY BY COUNTRY DISCUSSION
SUGGESTED THAT THE COMMISSION WOULD BE LIKELY TO CONSIDER
FAVOURABLY URGENT CONSULTATIONS WITH THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES:
COTTON YARN EGYPT, GREECE, SPAIN, TURKEY
KNOTTED SHIRTS SPAIN, MOROCCO, TUNISIA, ISRAEL
BLOUSES GREECE, TURKEY, MOROCCO, TUNISIA
WOVEN SHIRTS PORTUGAL, MOROCCO, TUNISIA