French problem is dealing with the large and dominant suppliers
such as Hong Kong on whose imports they, unlike the UK, have
large growth rates under the Community's "burden-sharing formula".
I doubt if we can continue to count on French support when French
interests may be adequately solved by a relatively minor
redrafting of the Commission's existing proposals.
Indeed the
Commission's recent suggestion that their proposals will be put
for international approval in Geneva may be enough to rally the
French and others to a text which still does not meet our
requirements.
In the tactical circumstances that we may find developing very
rapidly next week, there could be a real danger that we might find
ourselves isolated in the Community in opposing the Commission
proposals. We would be wise to find a way to avoid this since we
would also be blamed in Geneva for refusing to allow the
Community to take up a position. This would make us unpopular
with the United States as well as with the developing countries.
Our tenure of the Presidency could help us to avoid these
dangers without compromising the protection we must achieve for
the British industry. We could do this by ensuring that the
Commission's paper is not the only text on the table in Brussels
as soon as it no longer becomes credible to continue pressing them
to improve it.
/I suggest