APS 520
ZMMEDIATE
TYPHER/CAT A
FL. UKMIS GENEVA 1611392
RESTRICTED
P/A
1821
101
RESTRICTED
DESKBY 189890Z
103
TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 371 OF 16 JULY 1977.
INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP BRUSSELS.
MY TELNO 356 : TEXTILES : MFA NEGOTIATIONS
IN
F⚫. 51
REGIS
19 July77
4KK 121
16,6
1. THE ARTICLE 113 COMMITTEE WAS RECONVENED AT SHORT NOTICE ON THE AFTERNOON OF 15 JULY TO HEAR A REPORT FROM TRAN (COMMISSION) ON FURTHER INFORMAL CONTACTS WHICH HAD TAKEN PLACE IN RESPONSE TO LONG'S URGINGS. TRAN DISTRIBUTED NEW VARIANTS OF THE KEY PARAGRAPHS IN THE POSSIBLE DRAFT OF A CHAIRMAN'S SUMMING UP.
FOR TEXTS SEE MIFT.
2. TRAN CLAIMED THAT WITH THESE MODIFICATIONS, WHICH HAD BEEN MORKED OUT BETWEEN THE US AND THE JAPANESE IN AN EFFORT TO RESPOND TO THE COMMUNITY'S ANXIETIES, THE RESULTANT TEXT FULLY PROTECTED THE COMMUNITY'S POSITION. IN PARTICULAR, THE REVISED PARA 5 GAVE US THE GREEN LIGHT WE WANTED TO DEPART FROM THE PRESENT MFA RULES, WHILE THE NEW PARA 8 MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE COMMUNITY'S WILLINGNESS TO SIGN UP FOR A REVEWED MFA AT THE END OF THE YEAR WAS CONDITIONAL ON A SATISFACTORY EVOLUTION OF THE SITUATION (IN PARTICULAR NEGOTIATION OF BILATERALS) IN THE MEANTIME.
3. THE GERMANS AND DANES WERE DELIGHTED. FRANCE, NETHERLANDS AND UK, REMAINED ESSENTIALLY UNCONVINCED. ALL THREE INSISTED THAT THE BARGAIN APPARENTLY INVOLVED (TO THE EXTENT THAT IT COULD BE UNDERSTOOD) WAS UNBALANCED AND THAT THEY COULD NOT AGREE AT THIS STAGE THAT THERE WAS A CONSENSUS TO EXTEND THE
AFA UNCHANGED.
4, TRAN THEN LEFT FOR FURTHER TALKS, WITH HIS INTERLOCUTORS, AND RETRUNED AT 2230 TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE COMMISSION HAD DECIDED
THAT IT MUST TAKE ITS RESPONSIBILITIES AND THAT HE HAD GIVEN
HIS PERSONAL AGREEMENT TO THE REVISED TEXT AD REFERENDUM TO HIS POLITICAL AUTHORITIES IN BRUSSELS. HE HAD NO DOUBT THEY
RESTRICTED
/WOULD.