TNAG-0386-FCO40-432-Exports-of-non-cotton-textiles-from-Hong-Kong-to-the-EEC-1973 — Page 173

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6. AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION THE COMMISSION ASKED FOR AGREEMENT TO THEIR PROPOSAL TO NEGOTIATE A VOLUNTARY RESTRAINT AGREEMENT BASED ON IMPORTS OF THE LAST THREE YEARS (DOCUMENT S/27/73),, THERE WOULD A STANDSTILL FOR 1 YEAR PENDING THE OUTCOME OF THE CATT STUDY AND THE AGREEMENT WOULD TEMPORARILY COVER ALL PRODUCTS WHICH WERE CON-- SIDERED SENSITIVE. THE UK DELEGATION REPEATED ITS OBJECTIONS TO AN OVERALL SOLUTION. IF HONG KONG WERE TO AGREE TO LIMITATIONS A SUBSTANTIVE CASE MUST BE MADE.

7. AS TIME WAS RUNNING SHORT, THE MEETING, HAVING BEEN LIMITED TO TWO HOURS BY THE PROLONGATION OF THE MORNING'S JUTE MEETING, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT NO FIRM AGREEMENT COULD BE REACHED ON THE FORM OF A MANDATE TO NEGOTIATE WITH HONG KONG. IT WAS THEREFORE AGREED THAT A FURTHER MEETING OF THE GROUP WOULD BE HELD ON 2 FEBRUARY TO DISCUSS THIS PROBLEM, THIS WOULD FOLLOW MEETINGS WHICH HAD ALREADY BEEN ARRANGED FOR 32 JANUARY TO DISCUSS THE LIST OF ITEMS WHICH MEMBER COUNTRIES CONSIDERED TO BE SENSITIVE ON THE BASIS OF THE LIST PROPOSED BY THE COMMISSION IN THEIR SEPTEMBER PAPER AND ON 31 JANUARY TO DISCUSS REACTIONS TO M, LONG'S PROPOSALS ON THE FORM OF ANY MULTI-LATERAL AGREEMENT (MORNING) AND THE COMMUNITY'S PROPOSED AGREEMENT WITH YUGOSLAVIA (AFTERNOON).

FCO PSE. PASS ADVANCE COPIES TO :

FCO - HALL

DTI - GWINNELL RIDLEY

PSE. PASS SAVING GOVERNOR HONG KONG

[ADVANCED AS REQUESTED]

PALLISER

EUROPEAN ECONOMIC DISTRIBUTION

TRD

EID

HKIOD

FED

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION FRAME

COPIES TO

MR HOPE, CTD, DTI

2

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