TNAG-0464-FCO40-529-Entitlement-of-Hong-Kong-to-EEC-Generalised-Scheme-of-Prefer-1974 — Page 110

GRPS 1350A

CYPHER CAT A

M UKREP BRUSSELS 09 1230 Z

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RESTRICTED GISTRY No.52

11 OCT 1974

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TO ROUTINE FCO TELNO 4361 OF 9 OCTOBER INFO SAVING BRUSSELS (FOR

DODGE), HONG KONG.

MEETING OF WORKING GROUP ON GENERALISED PREFERENCES: 7 AND 8

OCTOBER.

1. IN THIS TWO DAY MEETING THE GROUP AGAIN COVERED MOST OF THE

GROUND INCLUDING A PRODUCT BY PRODUCT REVIEW IN THE INDUSTRIAL

SECTOR. THE MAIN CONCLUSION IS THAT THE COMMUNITY IS STILL VERY

FAR FROM ACCEPTING THE COMMISSION'S PROPOSALS. OUR PLY-WOOD AND

TOBACCO QUOTAS FOR 1974 WERE DISCUSSED BUT NO AGREEMENT COULD BE

REACHED AND THE OUTCOME WILL BE REPORTED TO THE COMMITTEE OF

PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVES NEXT WEEK. THERE WAS AN EXCHANGE ON THE

COMMISSION'S PROPOSALS ON FOOTWEAR IN WHICH SOME SYMPATHY WAS SHOWN FOR THE HONG KONG CASE (SEE MIPT). AS IN PREVIOUS GROUP

DISCUSSION THE UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THE OUTCOME OF THE EXCHANGES

OF VIEW WAS NOT BINDING AT GROUP OR AT HIGHER LEVEL.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS,

2. THE GROUP BEGAN BY GOING THROUGH THE COMMISSION'S NEW PROPOSALS.

A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF RESERVES WERE DROPPED INCLUDING THE IRISH RESERVE ON PRAWNS. THE GENERAL GERMAN AND DUTCH RESERVES ON PRESER- VED FRUITS WERE ALSO DROPPED. THE MAIN OUTSTANDING RESERVES ARE ON CASTOR OIL (FRENCH AND ITALIANS), ANCHOVIES (FRENCH AND ITALIANS), A NUMBER OF PRESERVED FRUIT PRODUCTS IN CHAPTERS 20.05 AND 20.06 (GERMANS, FRENCH AND ITALIANS) AND ON MANUFACTURED TOBACCO (ITAL- IANS). ON MANUFACTURED TOBACCO THE COMMISSION SAID THAT CONCESSIONS WERE LIKELY TO BE GIVEN TO THE EFTA COUNTRIES, SO SHOULD BE GIVEN

TO THE GSP BENEF!CORIES AS WELL.

3. THE GROUP THEN TURNED TO THE UK LIST OF ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS. RESERVES WERE EXPRESSED ON ALL THE ITEMS, BUT IT LOOKED AS IF SOME

(NOTABLY THE SPICES) DID NOT CAUSE SERIOUS DIFFICALTIES. THE CERMANS DANES AND IRISH WERE GENERALLY FAVOURABLE TO OUR REQUESTS APART FROM CORNED BEEF. THE FRENCH, BELGIANS AND ITALIANS HAD BOTH GENERAL AND SPECIFIC OBJECTIONS. THE COMMISSION WERE UNABLE TO SUPPORT US ON THE PRIMARY PRODUCTS CR ITEMS SUBJECT TO LEVIES, WHICH THEY SAID COULD NOT BE CONSIDERATED FOR GSP BENEFITS.

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