eRs 360 RESTRICTED
FM STOCKHOLM
TO IMMED NATE FCO
LNO 168
OF 03151OZ JUNE 86
INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP BRUSSELS
FRAME GENERAL
125
нии 166/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
1 1 JUN 1986
UPS OFFICER
INDLA
PA
REGISTRY Action Taken
127
سلام
PA Cheryl
MY TELNO 167
EC RESTRICTIONS ON FOOD IMPORTS: CERTIFICATION
1. DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MFA RESPONSIBLE FOR EC/EFTA AFFAIRS ASKED ME TO CALL THIS AFTERNOON. RESPONSIBLE AUTHORITIES ARE WORRIED'' ABOUT HMG'S CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT. GIVEN SWEDISH POLITENESS, MEANS IN FACT THAT THEY ARE VERY UPSET BY IT.
THIS
2. OFFICIAL EMPHASIZED THAT SWEDEN HAD BEEN VERY ANXIOUS FROM THE BEGINNING TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THE COMMUNITY ON PROBLEMS ARISING AFTER CHERNOBYL. THEY HAD NOT IMPOSED ANY CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS ON IMPORTS FROM THE COMMUNITY COUNTRIES EVEN THOUGH THEIR OWN LIMITS ARE STRICTER. HAVING NOTIFIED THE COMMUNITY OF THEIR MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE LEVELS (BASICALLY 300 BQ/KG), THEY WERE PROCEEDING ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT ANY IMPORTS FROM THE COMMUNITY WOULD BE WITH IN THESE LIMITS.
3. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, WE WERE THE ONLY COMMUNITY COUNTRY TO HAVE ASKED SWEDEN TO CERTIFY EXPORTS. THEN
HAVE ASKED SWEDEN TO CERTIFY EXPORTS. THEIR AUTHORITIES ARE PROBABLY AS RELUCTANT TO HAVE TO PROVIDE A CERTIFICATE FOR EACH AND EVERY EXPORT TO BRITAIN (EXPORTS LAST YEAR TO BRITAIN OF PRODUCTS NOW REQUIRING CERTIFICATION CAME TO £6 MILLION OUT OF TOTAL EXPORTS OF SOME £200 MILLION) AS WE ARE TO HAVE TO CHECK CONSIGNMENTS ON ARRIVAL AT PORT. HOWEVER, SWEDISH OBJECTIONS AS PUT TO ME ARE MORE OF PRINCIPLE. SPECIFICALLY, THEY SEE OUR APPROACH AS OUT OF KEEPING WITH THE CHARACTER OF RELATIONS BETWEEN COMMUNITY AND EFTA COUNTRIES, AND ESPECIALLY THE CONTINUING PROGRESS TOWARDS SIMPLIFICATION AND HARMONIZATION OF PROCEDURES IN THE INTERESTS OF THE COMMERCIAL RELATIONSHIP. THEY WILL BE RAISING THE MATTER THROUGH THEIR EMBASSY IN LONDON AND IN BRUSSELS.
4. THEY VERY MUCH HOPE THAT WE WILL BE PREPARED TO THINK AGAIN, GIVEN THAT THEIR OWN REQUIREMENTS ARE STRICTER THAN OURS AND THEIR MONITORING PROCEDURES ARE CAREFUL AND THOROUGH ( HAVE BEEN PROMISED DETAILS WHICH WILL BE FORWARDED TOMORROW).
5.
WENT OVER THE REASONS WHY WE HAD DECIDED TO ASK FOR CERTIFICATES AND REMINDED THEM THAT THIS ACTION HAD BEEN TAKEN TO MEET A VERY SPECIFIC EMERGENCY SITUATION AND SO SHOULD NOT BE SEEN AS A BREACH OF THE SPIRIT OF EC/COMMUNITY HARMONIZATION. NEVERTHELESS THIS IS VERY MUCH HOW THE SWEDES SEE IT.
STREAMS
FRAME GENERAL
GCD (1)
(ADVANCED AS REQUESTED}