TNAG-0044-FCO40-80-Exports-to-the-Benelux-countries-aide-memoires-1967 — Page 77

Our reference: IT 4270

reference: CRE 41/1967

MINISTRY OF

MA

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD Whitehall Place, LONDON S.W.I

Telex: 22124 Telegrams: Agrififood London Telex

Telephone: TRAfalgar 7711, ext.

25th September, 1967

السد

27/9

58

Dear Corley,

(55).

Anglo-Benelux Agreed Minute on Trade

I refer to your letter to Gordon of 8th September and copied to me.

In general we are happy with your draft, but there are one or two points on which we should like to see changes:

(a)

You have omitted any reference to consultation in the event of our wishing to re-impose quotas on U.K. imports of canned and bottled apples, on the grounds that this is covered by Article 4 of the Agreed Minute. Article 4 refers to "goods which have neither been liberalised nor fall under global quotas, open general licence or open individual licence", whereas canned and bottled apples surely have been liberalised, and I cannot see how they can be covered by Article 4 as drafted. The re-imposition of quotas for processed milk is covered in para. (a) of the Exchange of letters, so there seems no reason why a further paragraph on similar lines should not be included for canned and bottled apples.

para. (possible

(b) Provided you have no objection, we should prefer all reference to bacon

deleted from the Annex, which according to Article 3 of the draft Minute shows products still subject to quota restrictions. Under the terms of the bacon Market Sharing Understanding each participating country is given a share of the total minimum quantity which the U.K. Government determines is required on the U.K. market in the 12 month period beginning on 1st April each year. These minimum allocations are not quotas in the usual sense of the word, and if there were no Bacon Understanding bacon from the Netherlands would be in 0.G.L. However we should like to retain a paragraph on bacon in the Exchange of Letters, but suggest it should read as follows;-

(c)

"The United Kingdom representatives agreed that appropriate consultations should take place with the Netherlands Goverment concerning the supply of bacon from that country to the U.K. within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Supply of Bacon to the U.K. Market dated 11th March 1964."

In view of the common market in sugar which is to be introduced into the E.E.C. from July 1968, the reference to sugar in the Annex to the Agreed Minute and in the Exchange of Letters seems meaningless. Unless you have any particular reason for keeping it therefore, we suggest that it should be omitted.

I am copying this to the recipients of your letter.

P.M.S. Corley, Esq., C.R.E..

Board of Trade, London, S..1.

RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 63

27 JcP:/67

HWB 6/2

Yours sincerely,

LAST

55

A. JEFFREY SMITH