TNAG-0464-FCO40-529-Entitlement-of-Hong-Kong-to-EEC-Generalised-Scheme-of-Prefer-1974 — Page 133

3. THE FRENCH AND ITALIANS RESERVED THEIR POSITION ON THE

THE FRENCH SAID THAT THEIR

COMMISSION'S, PROPOSALS FOR TOBACCO.

ALTHOUGH

AGRI ENT LAST YEAR HAD BEEN FOR ONE YEAR ONLY AND WAS NOT A PRECC-

DENT. HOWEVER THEY INDICATED THAT THEY MIGHT DE PREPARED TO MAKE AM EFFORT''. THE DUTCH DEMANDED THE EXTENSION OF THE TARIFF QUOTA ON TOBACCO TO ALL KINDS OF TOBACCO TO INCLUDE THOSE EXPORTED BY

THE GERMANS SUPPORTED THIS. WE RAISED THE QUESTION OF INDONESIA.

THE BELGIANS SAID THEY INCREASING THE 1974 QUOTA FOR TOBACCO. COULD NOT AGREE TO ANY EASING OF THE 22,900 TON LIMIT WHICH RESULTED

FROM PROTOCOL 10 OF THE COMMUNITY'S AGREEMENT WITH GREECE. THIS EXPIRED ON 31 OCTOBER, THE LIMIT SHOULD NOT BE EXCEEDED DURING THE YEAR WITHOUT FORMALLY CONSULTING THE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL, WE POINTED OUT IN REPLY THAT THE 22,000 TON LIMIT HAD BEEN SET BY . THE COMMUNITY OF SIX AND THAT THE FIGURE WOULD HAVE TO BE LOOKED AT

WE AGAIN IF THE QUESTION OF PROLONGING THIS COMMITMENT AROSE. ALSO POINTED OUT THAT AT PRESENT PRICES WE EXPECTED TO BE ABLE TO IMPORT ONLY SOME 16,000 TONS WITHIN OUR SHARE OF THE TARIFF QUOTA, IF THE COMMUNITY COULD AGREE TO EXCEED THE TARIFF QUOTA WITHIN THE LIMIT OF 22,000 TONS THIS WOULD IN ITSELF BE A CONSIDERABLE HELP. THE BELGIANS SAID THEY HAD NO OBJECTION TO THIS. THE CHAIRMAN ASKED THAT FURTHER DISCUSSION ON OUR REQUEST SHOULD TAKE PLACE

NEXT WEEK.

4. WE CIRCULATED TO THE GROUP COPIES OF OUR LIST OF PROPOSALS

THIS FOR ADDITION TO THE LIST OF PROCESSED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. WAS NOT DISCUSSED. THE COMMISSION DID HOWEVER INDICATE THAT THEY EXPECTED SHORTLY TO MAKE PROPOSALS FOR ERGA OMNES TARIFF SUSPENSIONS ON A NUMBER OF THE INDIAN SPECIALITY PRODUCTS WHICH WERE DISCUSSED BY THE COMMITTEE EARLIER IN THE YEAR.

INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS

5.

THE MAIN OPPONENTS OF THE COMMISSION'S PROPOSALS FOR THE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE COUNTRIES WERE THE BELGIANS WHO SPOKE AT LENGTH ABOUT THEIR OWN RIVAL PROPOSALS, THE ESSENTIAL POINT OF WHICH IS THAT THEY LEAVE THE ADMINISTRATION OF RE-IMPOSITION OF DUTIES IN THE HANDS OF MEMDER STATES, THEY RECEIVED SOME RATHER AMBIGUOUS SUPPORT FROM THE DUTCH WHO-GAID THAT THE COMMISSION'S PROPOSALS DID HOT CO. FAR ENOUGH IN CURBING THE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE. THEY VENA HOWEVER FIRMLY OPPOSED BY THE COMMISSION ON THE GROUNDS THAT THRY VERE BITH RESTRICTIVE AND UNCOMMUMUTAIRE.

2 RESTRICTED

16.