TNAG-0212-FCO40-248-Departmental-briefs-on-Hong-Kong-1970 — Page 50

UNCLASSIFIED

Reference.......

Mr. Blain

(Commonwealth Co-ordination Department)

Dependent Territories: EEC.

I believe that there is to be a debate in the House of Lords on 8 December about our dependent territories.. You may wish to include something, in the speech you are preparing for Lord Lothian about the relationship between our dependent territories and the EEC.

2.

I suggest the following:

"In our negotiations for

entry to the European Community we have secured the agreement in principle of the Six to the association under Part IV of the Treaty of Rome for those non-European territories with whom we have special relations as defined in the Treaty. (This means in effect our dependent territories and the Associated States of the West Indies). This agreement applies to all territories apart from Hong Kong, whose position the Six see as being of a different order to that of the other territories and whom consequently they wish to discuss with us in greater depth. We are pursuing these discussions with the Community in Brussels, in close consultation with the Hong Kong authorities.

Since Gibraltar is a European territory for whose external relations the United Kingdom is responsible, she is covered by Article 227 (+) of the Treaty of Rome.

The Six have agreed in principle to her inclusion within the enlarged Community under that Article. We are now engaged with the Community in seeking ways of arranging for Gibraltar's free port facilities to be maintained in the event of her inclusion.

If pressed on the question of Gibraltar's future relations with Spain_7. Spain has concluded a preferen- tial trade agreement with the Six. Depending on what arrangements are agreed with the Community to cover Gibraltar's free port facilities, we should expect Spain to be obliged to obseve the terms of her agreement in commercial dealings with Gibraltar.

Copied to Mr. Kinnear

Hong Kong Dept.

Mr. McCarthy

SWPD

Mr. Herdman

GSAD

Mr. Allen

Caribbean Dept

Mr. Webster

WID

Mr. Massingham

PIOD

Mr. Thomas

SED

If pressed on the position of the Channel Islands_7. We have had talks with representatives from the Channel Islands and Isle of Man about our EEC negotiations, but we have not yet dealt with their position in Brussels.

We believe that the arrangements we have made for our dependent territories will enable us to preserve and elaborate upon the already close relations between ourselves and those countries.

3. G.S.A.D. and S.E.D. may wish to comment on our proposed piece about Gibraltar/Spain relations.

(M. A. Pakenham)

European Integration Department

26 November, 1970.