TNAG-0384-FCO40-430-Trade-relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-the-EEC-1973 — Page 125

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RATES WIRE NOT BY AND LARGE IMPORTANT. WIAT MATTERED WAS OVERALL

GENEROSITY: AND THIS SHOULD AT LEAST EQUAL ANY EXISTING SCHEME

ON PROCESSED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, SINCE THESE WERE MOST

IMPORTANT TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. IF THESE COUNTRIES COULD

SAY THEIR GSP POSITION HAD SUFFERED BECAUSE OF THE ALIGNMENT

OF ACCEDING STATES TO THE COMMUNITY SCHEME, THIS WOULD DAMAGE THE COMMUNITY POLITICALLY, AND ATTRACT CRITICISM. IN CONCLUDING WE SAID THAT IT WAS NOT SIMPLY A QUESTION OF ANY NEW COMMUNITY

SCHEME HAVLIG EQUIVALENT COVERAGE TO THE UK SCHEME: SINCE THE LATTER (WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS) GENERALLY PROVIDED FOR DUTY-FREE ENTRY, WHEREAS THIS WAS NOT THE CASE WITH THE COMMUNITY'S SCHEME.

VE THANKED THE COMMISSION FOR THE OBVIOUS ATTEMPT THEY HAD

MADE TO RECOGNISE THE PROBLEMS OF ASIAN COUNTRIES.

TEXTILES

4. A CONFUSED DISCUSSION REACHED NO CLEAR AND ACCEPTABLE COLUTION.

ME STATED OUR POSITION THAT WE COULD HOT ACCEPT THE CURRENT

COMMISSION PROPOSALS: THAT WE COULD ACCEPT NO FURTHER BURDEN OF

LOW COST TEXTILE IMPORTS: AND THAT WE WISHED TO SEE THE EVOLUTION

OF A TRULY COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL POLICY FOR TEXTILES: WE WOULD BE

PREPARED TO ACCEPT TEXTILES UNDER THE GSP AS AND WHEN THAT

OBJECTIVE WAS ACHIEVED. THE IRISH WERE READY TO ACCEPT THE

COMMISSION'S PROPOSALS WITH CERTAIN MODIFICATIONS: THE DANES

AGAIN DREW ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEMS CAUSED FOR THE INDUSTRY BY

A CUT-OFF OF DUTY FREE LOW COST IMPORTS. IT WAS AGREED THAT TEXTILE

EXPERTS SHOULD MEET UNDER COMMISSION AUSPICES TO EXAMINE THE

PROBLEM FURTHER: SEE BELOW.

5. SENSITIVE LIST.

AT ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO GIVE A FIRST READING TO THE COMMISSION'S

LIST OF SENSITIVE PRODUCTS (LIST AL OF JULY 1973), BUT THIS FLOUNDERED DUE TO THE LATENESS OF THE HOUR,

2. RESTRICTED

16. TIMETAR