TNAG-0463-FCO40-528-Entitlement-of-Hong-Kong-to-EEC-Generalised-Scheme-of-Prefer-1974 — Page 105

75

RECEIVED IN

REGISTRY No. 51

S387A

24 JUN1974

PRIORITY

CYPHER CAT JA

^ HKK6/598/1

CONFIDENTIAL

Dscussed with

Cautionary

Colegrann to HK.

FM BRUSSELS 191130Z

CONFIDENTIAL FRAME FILES/

.

PA

1, Gocibellow

7,

looks all night to

me

What do EID

think? Des

• 1974

TC PRIORITY GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELNO 37 OF 19 JUNE INFO

FCO AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON AND SAVING TO UKREP

BRUSSELS,

FROM DODGE

EEC : GSP 1975

LAST

REF.

NEXT

R

1. THE EEC COMMISSION ARE TO HOLD A FORMAL PRESS CONFERENCE ON THEIR 1975 GSP PROPOSALS TOMORROW, JUNE 23. OUR POSSESSION OF THE GENERAL DETAILS OF THESE PROPOSALS NEED NO LONGER BE KEPT SECRET

THEREAFTER.

2.

THE

SUGGEST THAT YOU SHOULD EXTRACT THE MAXIMUM PUBLICITY FROM THE FACT THAT OUR LONG UNREMITTING EFFORTS IN BRUSSELS IN THIS DELICATE SECTOR, FIRMLY SUPPORTED BY HMG, HAVE AT LAST BEEN REWARDED BY A SIGNIFICANT BREAKTHROUGH. THE COMMISSION IS PROPOSING INTER ALIA THE COMPLETE REMOVAL OF THE CURRENT DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HONG KONG IN THE ENTIRE FOOTWEAR SECTOR IN RECOGNITION OF THE VALIDITY OF OUR CASE FOR INCLUSION AS A FUTURE BENEFICIARY (SEE PAGE 18 OF THE DRAFT FRENCH TEXT SENT TO YOU WITH MY MEMORANDUM NO 166), IT ONLY REMAINS FOR THE MEMBER STATES TO ENDORSE THIS NEW POLICY FOR 1975, AND IN

THE NEXT PHASE OF THE EEC DELIBERATIONS THE PROMISED SUPPORT OF. HMG WILL BE INVALUABLE.

3. IF PRESSED FOR FURTHER DETAILS YOU CAN STATE THAT YOU ARE WORKING ON ADVANCE INFORMATION FROM THIS OFFICE AND THAT MORE

IS COMING IN DAILY.

4. ON TEXTILES IT SHOULD BE MADE CLEAR THAT NO PRECISE PROPOSALS HAVE SO FAR BEEN MADE FOR 1975. THE COMMISSION, NOT

HAVE BEING YET IN A POSITION TO CONSIDER THIS SECTOR IN DEPTH, DEFERRED THEIR PROPOSALS FOR THE TIME BEING (PAGE 21 OF THE DRAFT FRENCH TEXT). THERE WILL BE A LONG AND HARD FIGHT AHEAD OF US, IN WHICH EVERY SKILL AND WEAPON WE HAVE WILL BE NEEDED.

CONFIDENTIAL

/5. I FEEL

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