CONFIDENTIAL
to be considered if this approach fails in Geneva or proves incapable of ensuring adequate protection for the Community's
textile industry.
LINE TO TAKE
4. The Community's textile industry must be given adequate protection against the problem of cumulative disruption.
It
is highly desirable that the Commission should be in a position to present clearly defined proposals on this problem in the GATT Textiles Committee in Geneva as soon as possible. Failure to do so will discourage those countries who share the Community's concerns. Moreover, it is unlikely to leave us enough time for the necessary negotiation of bilateral textiles agreements before the end of the year.
5.
The UK and the majority of Member States have always believed and continue to believe that the best way of securing this effective protection is by the negotiation of a globelisation clause in a revised MFA. However, we have always indicated our readiness to consider other proposals which would give the equivalent results. The Commission's new proposals for dealing with cumulative disruption represent a major advance on earlier papers it has put forward on this subject. A large number of amendments which the UK has put forward to ensure adequate protection have now been taken on board. In the interests of going forward in Geneva, the UK is therefore prepared, if that is the general wish, for the Commission to present its latest proposals in Geneva. The UK is able to adopt this approach provided that there is acceptance within the Community, recorded in the minutes of this Council, of two conditions. These are:
(i) "If the proposal proves unacceptable to the other
signatories of the FA, the Council would recognise that the Community will have to consider other measures including globalisation to achieve its objectives as regards cumulative disruption;"
?
CONFIDENTIAL
/(ii)