1
CONFIDENTIAL
104
CRS650 .
HAMMED LATE
CYPHER/CAT-A-
FM UKREP BRUSSELS 161200Z
CONFIDENTIAL
FRAME FILES
TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 4690 OF 16 JULY.
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA ROUTINE TO ALL OTHER EEC POSTS
WASHINGTON AND TOKYO.
TEXTILES
RENEWAL OF THE MA
RE
IES
lick
1.
COMMISSIONER DAVIGNON ASKED ME TO CALL ON HIM AT NOON TODAY TO DESCRIBE THE LATEST STATE OF PLAY ON THE MEA DISCUSSIONS IN GENEVA AND TO EXPLAIN THE COURSE THE COMMISSION PROPOSED TO TAKE. HE HAD EARLIER SEEN MY FRENCH AND DUTCH COLLEAGUES AND WAS
PROPOSING TO BE IN PARIS ON TUESDAY NEXT TO SEE MR BARRE
2. DAVIGNON FIRST EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS DESIRABLE TO SPEED UP THE NEGOTIATIONS IN GENEVA FOR TWO REASONS. FIRST, THE ''FRENCH' TEXTILE MEASURES WERE IN DANGER OF OBSTRUCTING A SATISFACTORY SOLUTION ON THE MFA, AND SECOND THERE HAD DEEN A MAJOR CHANGE IN THE AMERICAN POSITION, THE COMMUNITY'S FAVOUR, FOLLOWING
M
STRAUSS' VISIT TO BRUSSELS LAST WEEK. HE HAD THEN TOLD STRAUSS
THAT THE COMMUNITY INTENDED TO BE AN HONEST PARTNER IN THE ATNS,
BUT IT WOULD NOT HELP IF SHE WERE DENIED SATISFACTION IN THE NFA
SIMPLY BECAUSE THE AMERICANS ALREADY HAD ALL THEY WANTED OUT OF IT,
STRAUSS HAD TAKEN THE POINT AND HAD IMMEDIATELY SENT REVISED
INSTRUCTIONS TO HIS TEAM IN GENEVA.
3.
AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, DAVIGNON SAID THAT THE COMMISSION NOW WISHED TO REACH A POLITICAL CONSENSUS IN GENEVA IN TWO STAGES.
THE CONSENSUS WAS TO BE BASED ON THE TEXT IN MIFT, AND IN PARTICULAR ON THE KEY ELEMENTS IN PARAGRAPHS 5 AND 8. PARAGRAPH 5
GAVE THE COMMUNITY MORE THAN IT COULD REASONABLY HAVE HOPED FOR
EARLIER IN THE WAY OF ASSURANCES ON FLEXIBILITY AND GOODWILL ON
THE PART OF THE EXPORTING COUNTRIES WITH WHOM NEW BILATERAL
AGREEMENTS WOULD BE NEGOTIATED DURING THE REMAINDER OF THIS YEAR.
PARAGRAPH 3 MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE MFA ITSELF WOULD NOT BE REVELAD
ENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
/UNLESS
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