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THE NEW AGREEMENTS WERE IN FORCE. THIS IS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT IN
DELING WITH THE PROBLEM OF CUMULATIVE DISRUPTION. THE COMMISSION
WERE RELUCTANT TO ACCEPT A TOTAL COMMITMENT. THEY ARGUED THAT A
LARGE NUMBER OF REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL RESTRAINTS IMMEDIATELY
AFTER THE COMING INTO FORCE OF TOUGHLY NEGOTIATED NEW AGREEMENTS
COULD SERIOUSLY PREJUDICE THEIR SURVIVAL. THEY TRIED TO IMPOSE
A TIME LIMIT BEFORE WHICH NEW REQUESTS FOR NEW RESTRAINTS ON
GROUP 2 PRODUCTS WOULD NOT BE PUT FORWARD. WE MADE CLEAR THAT
WE WOULD HAVE AN ABSOLUTE RIGHT UNDER THE TERMS OF S/1509 TO INSIST
ON SUCH A REGIONAL RESTRAINT IF NECESSARY AND IF THE OBJECTIVE
CRITERIA WERE MET. WE SAID WE WOULD DO OUR BEST TO AVOID EARLY
REQUESTS, THAT THE MEETING OF OUR PRESENT REQUESTS FOR REGIONAL RESTRAINTS (SEE PARA 4 ABOVE) WOULD HELP US IN THIS SITUATION BUT
THAT IN A SERIOUS SITUATION OF CUMULATIVE DISRUPTION WE WOULD HAVE
NO CHOICE BUT TO INSIST ON OUR RIGHTS. WE WARNED THAT MR DELL
MIGHT WISH TO REITERATE THE UK POSITION ON THIS AT THE COUNCIL ON
18 OCTOBER.
CUMULATIVE DISRUPTION.
6. WE AND THE COMMISSION ACCEPTED THAT THE COMMUNITY IS AT THE
MOMENT DISCUSSING THE NEGOTIATING DIRECTIVES FOR BILATERAL
AGREEMENTS WITH A DEFINED LIST OF 30 COUNTRIES. WE SAID THAT
CUMULATIVE DISRUPTION FROM COUNTRIES OTHER THAN THOSE ON THE LIST
OF 30 WAS STILL A MAJOR UK CONCERN. IN THIS CONTEXT WE DREW THE
COMMISSION'S ATTENTION TO THE FIRM COMMITMENT IN THE JUNE MANDATE
TO ACT IMMEDIATELY WHEN ''IMPORTS FROM ANY NEW SUPPLIER CAUSE OR
THREATEN TO AGGRAVATE A SITUATION OF MARKET DISRUPTION WITHIN THE
COMMUNITY' AND THAT ANY RESTRAINT WHICH MAY BE CALLED FOR
SHOULD BECOME EFFECTIVE WITHIN 3 MONTHS. THE COMMISSION'S
CONCLUSION WAS THAT THE TEXT WAS CLEAR, THE COMMUNITY WAS NEGOTIATING FOR THE MOMENT WITH 30 COUNTRIES ONLY, AND NO FURTHER
COMMENT WAS NEEDED AT THE MOMENT. ONCE AGAIN WE WARNED THAT
MR DELL MIGHT WISH TO REFER TO THIS POINT AT THE COUNCIL.
COTTON YARN.
7. WE LAFD GREAT STRESS ON THE NEED TO. PROVIDE A SOLUTION WHICH
ENABLED THE UK TO HAVE ZERO GROWTH FOR COTTON YARN IMPORTS. THE
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3.
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/COMMISSION SAID