RESTRICTED
(A) MORE PRECISE CRITERIA FOR DEALING WITH IMPORTS FROM NEW SUP
WITH WHICH NO AGREEMENTS HAD BEEN NEGOTIATED:
(B) THE HANDLING OF RESTRAINTS ON IMPORTS FROM SPAIN, PORTUGAL,
GREECE AND TURKEY:
(C) THE HANDLING OF INTRA-TRADE IN THE COMMUNITY OF IMPORTED TEXTILES
(A), ESPECIALLY, BUT ALSO (B) BEING OF CONSIDERABLE IMPORTANCE TO THE UNITED KINGDOM AND (C) OF MORE IMPORTANCE TO THE ITALIANS.
3. DENIAU (FRANCE) IN A SERIES OF INTERVENTIONS WELCOMED THE COMMISSION'S ASSURANCES ON PORTUGAL, SPAIN, GREECE AND TURKEY BUT ARGUED THAT THE COMMISSION SHOULD NOT COMMIT THEIR SIGNATURE IN ANY WAY TO THE PROTOCOL RENEWING THE MFA UNTIL ALL THE BILATERAL AGREEMENTS HAD BEEN SIGNED BY THE EXPORTING COUNTRIES, AND HE MADE THE WELCOME POINT (WHICH WAS IN THE END AGREED) THAT NO FINAL SIGNATURE OF BILATERAL AGREEMENTS SHOULD TAKE PLACE UNTIL THEIR CONTENTS HAD BEEN CONSIDERED BY AN ARTICLE 113 COMMITTEE. DENIAU ALSO SAID THAT FRANCE ASSUMED THAT SUBSEQUENT ADJUSTMENTS TO BURDEN
SHARES YOULD BE POSSIBLE.
4. DURING THE DEBATE MR DELL SAID THAT THE UK HAD CONSIDERED THE QUESTION OF RENEWAL OF THE MFA, CERTAINLY WITH AN EYE ON POTENTIAL REFERCUSSIONS ON THE NORTH/SOUTH DIALOGUE AND THE MULTILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS, BUT VERY MUCH ALSO WITH FULL REGARD TO THE YELL BEING OF THE TEXTILE INDUSTRIES IN EUROPE INCLUDING THE UNITED KINGDOM. THE BILATERAL AGREEMENTS NEGOTIATIED BY THE COMMISSION AND HE RECOGNISED THE COMMISSION'S ACHIEVEMENT - OFFERED MUCH BETTER COVERAGE AND GREATER SECURITY FOR THE FUTURE. AN IMPORTANT UK PROBLEM HAD BEEN WITH THE UNCERTAINTIES ATTACHED TO THE FIGURES IN THE COMMISSION'S REPORT. FURTHER DISCUSSIONS OVERNIGHT HAD HELPED TO CLARIFY THE SITUATION. HE NOW HAD FIRM MAXIMUM FIGURES FOR IMPORTS OF THE PRODUCTS IN GROUP 1: THE COMMISSION'S NEW PAPERS (ESPECIALLY THE ONE DEALING WITH NEW SUPPLIERS): AND AN AGREED REVISION TO THE UK LIABILITIES ON IMPORTS OF COTTON CLOTH. ALL THESE THINGS CNABLED HIM TO AGREE THAT THE MFA SHOULD DE RENEWED, BUT SUCH RENEWAL MUST BE SUBJECT TO THE BILATERAL AGREEMENTS WITH EXPORTING COUNTRIES BEING
--2-- RESTRICTED
/SIGNED