TNAG-0249-FCO40-285-Effect-of-entry-of-UK-into-EEC-on-exports-from-Hong-Kong-1970 — Page 23

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

CONFIDENTIAL

providing this market.

Nevertheless he would like

to make it clear, as he had done in his Blackpool speech, that it was not right to approach so major a question as the future of Europe entirely in the spirit "What price do we have to pay?" We had to avoid the appearance of pettiness in the negotiations. At the same time it was necessary to convince Parliament and the British public that the long term objectives were not being bought too dearly in terms of excessive short term disadvantages. 5. Signor Malfatti said he realised these difficulties, but experience within the Community of Six was that fears of the initial disadvantages paled before the results that were achieved. He doubted the value of modium or long term projec- tions on the detailed financial problems. There were very many imponderables, and any calculations would be of spurious accuracy. He feared the risk of the negotiations being taken over by economists

This was essentially a

and statisticians.

political negotiation.

6.

Mr. Rippon agreed. On the detailed problems of pigmeat, eggs and milk he said he hoped that they Would shortly be disposed of. We had put forward our problems; the Commission had helped us in showing us the likely position. He hoped it would be possible shortly to say that further examination had shown that the anxieties we feared would not exist. More generally, it was important, as he had suggested at Blackpool, to break down as soon as possible the concept of a division between the Six and the Four applicants. This was a negotiation not a litigation. The public needed to be given

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CONFIDENTIAL

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