86
ри
ни бут
MFA
191. FRED(E).
din 29/3
Secretary of State for Industry
FCS/77/19
41J
Multi Fibre Arrangement
28 MAR 1977 IN
(114)
REGISTRY 100. 12 - 5 APR 1977
MVE BLB.
I entirely accept the view expressed in your letter of
21 March that the British textile industry must have adequate
protection under the new Multi-Fibre Arrangement and that
because of this it is essential to deal with the problem of
cumulative disruption.
We need to give urgent consideration now on how best to
achieve our aim. At the moment in the Community we are among
the majority of Member States who want an amendment to the existin
MFA. But the Commission, the Germans and the Danes have
consistently opposed this. As long as we can be sure of
steadfast support from the other Member States, I strongly agree
that we should continue our present tactics.
But since you wrote your letter you will have seen
reports from Brussels that the French may be weakening in their
insistence on a globalisation clause.
And although there have
been repeated firm denials from them, I fear that they may have
realised that the problems of the French industry are different
from those of the British industry. In many ways, the main
/French