TNAG-0628-FCO40-776-Effect-of-GATT-Multi-Fibre-Arrangement-on-Hong-Kong-negotiat-1977 — Page 76

RESTRICTED

+

4. SOME PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES, IMPORTING AS WELL AS EXPORTING, FELT THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR MODIFICATIONS TO BE MADE TO THE

TEXT OF THE MFA, OTHERS WERE OF THE OPINION THAT ANY DIFFICULTIES THAT MAY HAVE ARISEN WERE DUE TO PROBLEMS OF IMPLEMENTATION, AND THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THE MFA ARE ADEQUATE TO DEAL WITH SUCH

DIFFICULTIES.

5. AS REGARDS THE CRITICAL IMPORT PROBLEMS REFERRED TO BY ONE MAJOR IMPORTING PARTICIPANT IN ITS STATEMENT TO THIS COMMITTEE, THE TC

RECOGNIZED THAT SUCH PROBLEMS SHOULD BE RESOLVED BILATERALLY UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 4 OR ARTICLE 3(4) BETWEEN THE PART IC IPANTS

CONCERNED.

THE COMMITTEE NOTED THE MAJOR IMPORTING PARTICIPANT'S STATEMENT

CONCERNING THE BASIS UPON WHICH IT INTENDED TO ACHIEVE ITS STATED

03JECTIVES BY CONSULTATIONS AND NEGOTIATIONS AS WELL AS THE

GOODWILL AND INTENTIONS OF FLEXIBILITY OF SOME MAJOR EXPORTING

PARTICIPANTS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE STATEMENTS TO THE COMMITTEE.

THE COMMITTEE AGREED, HOWEVER, THAT THE AFOREMENTIONED CONSULTATIONS AND NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED WITHIN THE

FRAMEWORK AND PROVISIONS OF THE MFA TAKING DUE ACCOUNT OF THE FLEXIBILITY MENTIONED ABOVE (NOT EXCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF REASONABLE DEPARTURE FROM PARTICULAR ELEMENTS IN PARTICULAR CASES) WITH A VIEW TO REACHING MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE SOLUTIONS.

THE COMMITTEE ALSO URGED ALL PARTICIPANTS CONCERNED TO MOVE

PROMPTLY TO NEGOTIATE THESE MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE SOLUTIONS IN

THE SPIRIT OF THE MFA.

THE COMMITTEE FURTHER NOTED THAT IN SEEKING SUCH SOLUTIONS THE

INTERESTS OF NEWCOMERS AND SMALL SUPPLIERS SHALL BE PROTECTED,

6. IT WAS REITERATED THAT IN THE FUTURE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE

MEA, THE SPECIAL PROBLEMS OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES SHALL BE FULLY

TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN A MAYHER CONSISTENT WITH THE PROVISIONS OF

THE MEA, IN PARTICULAR ARTICLE 6 THEREOF.

-2- RESTRICTED

17.