TNAG-0463-FCO40-528-Entitlement-of-Hong-Kong-to-EEC-Generalised-Scheme-of-Prefer-1974 — Page 154

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5. THE GENERAL ATTITUDE TAKCH BY THE COMMISSION WAS THAT THE LINES ON

WHICH OUR THOUGHTS WERE DEVELOPING WERE NOT FAR REMOVED FROM THEIRS.

WHAT WE HAD IN MIND TO PROPOSE WOULD BE REGARDED BY SEVERAL MEMBER

STATES (PARTICULARLY THE FRENCH AND THE ITALIANS) AS TOU AMBITIOUS,

HENCE THEY DOUBTED WHETHER WE WOULD SECURE ALL OUR OBJECTIVES. BUT

THEY WERE IN SYMPATHY WITH OUR AIM OF THE RADICAL LIBERALISATION OF

THE SYSTEM. THEY WOULD DO WHAT THEY COULD TO HELP WHEN THE NECESS-

ARY WORKING PRODUCEDURES WERE SET UP AFTER THE LUXEMBOURG STATEMENT

ON JUNE 4, AND THEY EXPRESSED THEMSELVES AS PARTICULARLY GRATEFUL

FOR HAVING HAD THIS INDICATION OF OUR VIEWS NOW IN ORDER THAT THEY

COULD BEAR THEM IN MIND IN PUTTING FORWARD THEIR OWN PROPOSALS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF THE SCHEME FOR 1975.

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