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repeat at the Strasbourg European Council meeting of the eleven to one position recorded at Madrid, with the real debate reserved for the action programme. It had to be remembered that under the Single European Act, changes affecting industrial relations required unanimous agreement. Even non-binding declarations could have the effect of extending the Commission's competence in an undesirable way.
The United
Kingdom would have available its own version of a Charter for the Strasbourg meeting.
ONFIDENTIA
Relations with European Free
Trade Association Countries
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY said that press reports ling discussions between the Community and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries to speculation about the United Kingdom's future status within the Community and to the moves towards democracy in Eastern Europe were misleading. The discussions on a closer relationship between the Community and the EFTA Countries had been taking place for some time and had made good progress. He expected that a joint meeting in December wouch formal negotiations: it was expected that these would reach Agreement, perhaps by around the end of 1990. This would have bearing on the United Kingdom's position as
Quminity: nor would it be relevant to the
with Eastern Europe, which would need
a member of the
Community's relations
to be adjusted to the station in each of the countries concerned.
The Cabinet
Took note.
Cabinet Office
23 November 1989
IDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL
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THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HER BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT
CABINET
COPY NO
78
CONCLUSIONS of a Meeting of the Cabinet held at 10 Downing Street an
THURSDAY 30 NOVEMBER 1989
at 10.30 am
NFIDENTIAL
}
PRESENT
The Rt Hon Margaret Thatcher MP Prime Minister
he Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey How QC MP lord President of the Counci
he Rt Hon Douglas Hurd MP Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
The Rt Hon The Lord Mackay of Clashfern Lord Chancellor
The Rt Hon John Major MP Chancellor of the Exchequer
CONFIDENT
The Rt Hon David Waddington QC MP Secretary of State for the Home Department
The Rt Hon Tom King MP Secretary of State for Defence
The Rt Hon Kenneth Baker MP Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Rt Hon John MacGregor MP Secretary of State for Education and Science
The Rt Hon Cecil Parkinson MP Secretary of State for Transport
The Rt Hon The Lord Belstead Lord Privy Seal
The Rt Hon Christopher Patten MP Secretary of State for the Environment
The Rt Hon John Selwyn Gummer MP Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries
and Food
The Rt Hon Peter Walker MP Secretary of State for Wales
Rt Hon Nicholas Ridley MP retary of State for Trade and
The Ron Kenneth Clarke QC MP Secretary of State for Health
Secret:
The Rt Hon Malcolm Rifkind QC MP Secretary of State for Scotland
The Rt Hon John Wake am MP Secretary of State for Energy
The Rt Hon Antony Newton MP
Secretary of State forial Security
The Rt Hon Peter Brooke Secretary of State for Norther Ireland
The Rt Hon Norman Lamont MP Chief Secretary, Treasury
i