RESTRICTED
THE INCREASE SHOULD NOT EXCEED 6-7,000 TONNES ON TOP OF THE PRESENT
INTERNAL GLOBAL CEILING. HE SOUGHT ONCE AGAIN TO JUSTIFY THESE
PROPOSED INCREASES BY ARGUING THAT THE RESULTING 1978 CEILING
WOULD STILL BE INFERIOR TO ACTUAL 1977 IMPORTS ON THE BASIS OF
CURRENT STATISTICS NOW AVAILABLE TO HIM SUPPORTED BY ESTIMATES UP
TO THE END OF THE YEAR. THE COMMISSION SUPPORTED BY THE GERMANS,
EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE OF CONCLUDING AN AGREEMENT WITH BRAZIL:
AND TRAN ADDED THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD BE MOST UNWISE TO ATTEMPT
GATT ARTICLE XIX AGAINST BRAZIL IN VIEW OF THAT COUNTRY'S CAPACITY
TO RETALIATE AGAINST THE COMMUNITY.
4. WE SAID THAT THESE FIGURES FAR EXCEEDED ANY REASONABLE
FLEXIBILITY THAT MIGHT BE ALLOWED ON THE FIGURES SET BY THE COUNCIL,
AND THAT WE THEREFORE HAD TO PLACE A FORMAL RESERVE ON THEM.
THE FRENCH, BELGIAN, DUTCH, ITALIANS AND IRISH SPOKE SIMILARLY:
THE MANDATE REQUIRED THE COMMISSION TO ADHERE TO 1976 TRADE AS THE
BASE LEVEL.
PHILIPPINES.
5. THE COMMISSION PROPOSED FURTHER CONCESSIONS. ON GROUP 1 PRODUCTS
THEY STRESSED THAT THE CONCESSIONS WOULD BE WHOLELY DRAWN FROM THE
NEGOTIATING RESERVES. ON GROUP 2 PRODUCTS THEY WOULD NOT BE DRAWN
FROM RESERVES AND THE COMMISSION NEEDED FLEXIBILITY FROM THE
MEMBER STATES, NOTABLY ON BRAS OF WOMEN'S COATS. WE AND THE NETHERLANDS RESISTED THE CONCESSIONS REQUIRED, BUT OTHER DELEGATIONS
EXPRESSED FLEXIBILITY ON CERTAIN PRODUCTS. AT THE END OF THE
DISCUSSION TRAN (COMMISSION) IMPLIED THAT THE COMMISSION, HAVING NOTED THE COMMENTS OF MEMBER STATES,.WOULD ASSUME ITS RESPONSIBIL-
ITIES.
COLOMBIA.
6. IN THE LIGHT OF TUESDAY'S FAILURE TO REACH AGREEMENT ON THE
EXTRA 250 TONNES SAID TO BE NEEDED TO CONCLUDE AN AGREEMENT
WITH COLOMBIA, TRAN SAID THAT THE COMMISSION WOULD OBTAIN THIS TONNAGE FROM THE 3,000 TONNES REMAINING FROM THE ADDITIONAL PROVISION FOR ARGENTINA, (EXPLANATION: THIS WAS AN INCREASE THAT
HAS HAD TO BE MADE IN THE GLOBAL QUOTA TO CATER FOR THE FACT THAT
G
3
RESTRICTED
/ ARGENTINA HAD