MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1994
9
... EUROPEAN UNION ENLARGEMENT TEXTILES CONSULTATIONS
A TRADE DEPARTMENT DELEGATION, LED BY DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF TRADE, MR KEVIN HO, LEAVES FOR BRUSSELS TONIGHT FOR BILATERAL CONSULTATIONS STARTING ON WEDNESDAY (NOVEMBER 23) WITH THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION.
THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE CONSULTATIONS IS ABOUT ADJUSTMENTS OF EXISTING COMMUNITY QUANTITATIVE LIMITS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE EXPECTED ACCESSION OF AUSTRIA, FINLAND, NORWAY AND SWEDEN то THE EUROPEAN UNION (BU) ON JANUARY 1, 1995.
"IT IS OUR POSITION THAT THE FUTURE REGIME GOVERNING TEXTILES IMPORTS INTO THE ENLARGED COMMUNITY SHOULD BE NO MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN THE SUM OF EXISTING REGIMES.
"WE AIM AT
AS A
THE
FOR
SECURING ADEQUATE QUOTA ADJUSTMENTS SO AS TO PRESERVE OUR MARKET ACCESS TO THE ACCEDING COUNTRIES AND ΤΟ ENLARGED COMMUNITY
WHOLE, MR HO SAID BEFORE LEAVING BRUSSELS.
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AT PRESENT, THE HONG KONG/EU TEXTILES AGREEMENT IS COMPREHENSIVE IN COVERAGE (30 QUOTA · CATEGORIES) WHEN COMPARED TO HONG KONG'S BILATERAL AGREEMENTS WITH AUSTRIA, FINLAND AND NORWAY (3-4 QUOTA CATEGORIES).
SWEDEN. DOES NOT MAINTAIN ANY QUOTA RESTRICTIONS ON TEXTILES IMPORTS AT ALL.
THEREFORE, ALIGNMENT OF THE TEXTILES REGIME IN THE ENLARGED WILL MEAN EXTENSION OF QUOTA RESTRAINTS FOR THE ACCEDING COUNTRIES.
EU
IN 1993, SOME 74 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S EXPORTS OF TEXTILES AND CLOTHING TO THE EU WERE SUBJECT TO QUOTA RESTRAINT.
I
SO FAR AUSTRIA FINLAND AND SWEDEN HAVE ALREADY VOTED "YES"
ΤΟ ACCESSION. NORWAY'S NATIONAL REFERENDUM WILL BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 28.
¦
0
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- CONSERVATION IN DEEP BAY BUFFER ZONE AREA
A
THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD HAS AGREED TO RECOMMEND ΤΟ THE GOVERNMENT FOR PRESERVING THE MAT PO NATURE RESERVE (MPNR)} AND ITS ADJOINING WETLANDS.
IT HAS ALSO ENDORSED THE REVISED GUIDELINES FOR APPLICATION FOR DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN DEEP BAY BUFFER ZONE (DBBZ).
"IN VIEW OF THE MOUNTING PUBLIC CONCERN AND THE POSSIBLE LOSS OF WETLAND HABITAT WITHIN THE DBBZ AREA CAUSED BY THE CONPENDOUS HIGH PRESSURE FOR DEVELOPMENT, THE BOARD CONSIDERS THAT PLANNING CONTROL ALONE CANNOT PROVIDE ENOUGH SAFEGUARD TO PRESERVE THE DBBZ ARRA,
/"THEREFORE, THE
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