37
Reference.
29
Miss Brooks, Legal Counsellor
EC COMMON VISA POLICY/HONG KONG
1.
We have been aware for some time that problems are looming for Hong Kong in the form of increasingly restricted visa policies likely to be implemented by EC Member States. You have copies of recent correspondence with MVD. The most recent exchanges were my minute of 14 June to Mr Parkinson, (28) MVD, Mr Ricketts' letter of 23 June to Mr Edwards and Mr Sindon's minute to me of 9 July (all copied to you).
(32)
2.
As laid out in my minute of 14 June, I wanted to explore what provision there may be under the EC Common Visa List to protect the interests (in this case.
(in this case our interests in Hong Kong) of member countries. The news that the Spanish have decided to repeal (with effect from 1 October) special arrangements agreed in 1987 which allowed BDTCs - free access to Spain has caused Hong Kong considerable concern. I now attach Hong Kong telno 1189 for your information.
36
3.
34
I would be grateful if you would now comment on whether anything can be done, under the terms of the Common Visa List as explained in Mr Sindon's minute, to protect what is seen by a member country as a "national interest". I am now preparing a submission on the issues raised by Hong Kong in their telegram under reference and it would be useful to have your comments during the course of next week.
Deborah Bannes Jones.
Deborah Barnes Jones Hong Kong Department WH 312 telno 270.2068
21 July 1993
CC:
Mr Sindon, MVD
Mr Hayward, NTCD
Mr McLachlin, ECD (I)
1HCD 345/3
жск
22 JUL 1993
min.commonvisa.NAT
JEB
CODE 18-77