TNAG-0385-FCO40-431-Trade-relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-the-EEC-1974 — Page 209

RESTRICTED

6. ON PLYWOOD, THE COMMISSION PROPOSED A

SPECIAL KEY BASED

OF THE TOTAL

ON THE PAST TRADE, WHICH WOULD GIVE THE UK SOME 65-74 QUOTA. THIS SHOULD PE BASED ON A QUOTA CORRESPONDING TO THE SECOND OR THIRD FIGURE IN THEIR ORICINAL PROPOSAL SINCE THE FIRST FIGURE DID NOT TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE COUNCIL DECISION REQUIRING THE **ONTANT SUPPLEMENTAIRE' TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE TRADE OF THE ASSOCIATES. HE POINTED OUT THAT THIS WAS THE ONE INDUSTRIAL PRODUCT IN WHICH THE ASSOCIATES HAD A PARTICULAR INTEREST AND ON WRICH THEY HAD FORMALLY REQUESTED THE COMMUNITY NOT TO EXPAND THEIR GSP, WE ARGUED THAT THE GROUP SHOULD ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM RATHER THEN DROP IT IN THE LAPS OF THE COMMITTEE

OF PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVES. THE FRENCH AGREED TO CONSIDER THE COMMISSION'S PROPOSALS AND INDICATE THEIR VIEWS NEXT WEEK. THE DUTCH SAID THEY HAD ATTAINED THEIR QUOTA FOR 1973 WHICH WOULD TAKE ACCOUNT OF THEIR FULL IMPORT REQUIREMENTS. WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO PLYWOOD WE ALSO MADE CLEAR OUR OPPOSITION TO THE MORE GENERAL USE OF SPECIAL KEYS (DEPARTING FROM THE OVERALL FORMULA) AND SAID THAT WE REGARDED THIS AS AN UNWELCOME AND UNCOMMUNAUTAIRE SOLUTION,

7. THERE WAS A BRIEF DISCUSSION OF A COMMISSION REQUEST FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SYSTEM OF PROVIDING STATISTICS ON TRADE IN PREFERENTIAL GOODS AND IT WAS PROPOSED THAT THIS SHOULD BE DEALT WITH DY THE EXPERTS CONCERNED. WE DREW ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEMS FOR THE NEW MEMBER STATES PENDING CUR ADOPTION OF NIMEXE STATISTICS, AND SUGGESTED THAT STATISTICAL EXPERTS SHOULD DISCUSS STATISTICAL

PROBLEMS. THIS WAS AGREED.

,

THE GROUP MEETS AGAIN ON 3 OCTOBER TO DEAL WITH INDUSTRIAL GOODS AND ALSO TEXTILES (WHICH WILL BE CONSIDERED BY A SPECIAL SUB-GROUP ON 4 AND 5 OCTOBER) AND WILL CONTINUE ITS MEETING ON 9 OCTOBER, WHEN IT WILL CONSIDER AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. DELEGATIONS TO COME BRIEFED ON OUR PROPOSALS,

FCO PASS ADVANCE COPIES TO:-

FCO - HART (EID).

CAB OFFICE HOLMWOOD.

DTI LAM, INGRAM, HAGESTADT.

MAFF BROWNSEY, VICKERY.

WE URGED

ODA

My

RADFORD, RUSSELL

■

PALLISER

[ADVANCED AS REQUESTED]

EUROPEAN ECONOMIC DISTRIBUTION: SID

4. RESTRICTED

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION:

FRAME