ix 7
CPS 1100A
EN CLAIR & BY BAG
FM F.C.0. 12163CZ
UNCLASSIFIED
NEC VED IN
AEGIRY No. 51
16 AUG 1977
HKK 12 616/1
TO ROUTINE CERTAIN MISSIONS AND DEPENDENT TERRITORIES TELNO GUIDANCE
169 OF 12 AUGUST,
TEXTILES: E.E.C. RESTRICTIONS
侮
ON 19 JUNE THE FRENCH ANNOUNCED THE IMPORTATION, UNDER G.A.T.T.
ARTICLE XIX, OF A PACKAGE OF UNILATERAL TEXTILE RESTRAINTS DESIGNED
TO CUT BACK FRENCH IMPORTS OF CERTAIN PRODUCTS TO 1976 LEVELS.
UNDER THE COMMON COMMERCIAL POLICY ACTION OF THIS SORT CAN USUALLY
ONLY DE TAKEN BY THE COMMUNITY AND NOT BE INDIVIDUAL MEMBER STATES,
THE LEGALITY OF FRANCE'S ACTION WAS THEREFORE IMMEDIATELY QUESTIONED
BY THE COMMISSION AND BY OTHER MEMBER STATES. THE RESULT WAS A
COMMUNITY PACKAGE, TICLUDING MOST OF THE FRENCH MEASURES (BUT NONE AT THE LEVELS THEY WANTED) IMPOSING RESTRAINTS ON A NUMBER OF
SUPPLYING COUNTRIES FOR A DIFFERENT NUMBER OF MEMBER STATES IN EACH
CASE, WHICH WAS BROUGHT INTO FORCE ON 12 JULY THROUGH A COMMISSION
REGULATION COVERING TRADE FOR THE SECOND HALF OF 1977. THE PACKAGE
WAS ENDORSED BY THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS ON 26 JULY AND WILL BE
ADOPTED AS A FORMAL COUNCIL REGULATION DURING AUGUST, THE FRENCH
HAVE HUDICATED THAT THEY WILL ABOLISH THE NATIONAL MEASURES
AT PRESENT IN FORCE AS SOON AS THE COUNCIL RECULATION IS FORMALLY
ADOPTED. THE COUNCIL REGULATION, LIKE THE COMMISSION REGULATION,
WILL CONTAIN A NUMBER OF RESTRICTIONS ON IMPORTS TO THE U.K.
LINE TO TAKE (IF ASKED).
2.
ALTHOUGH THE ORIGINAL IMPETUS FOR THE RESTRICTIONS CAME FROM
THE FRENCH, THIS IS A COMMUNITY PACKAGE FOR WHICH THE COMMUNITY AS
A WHOLE IS RESPONSIBLE. AS A RESULT, RESTRICTIONS APPLY TO OTHER
MEMBER STATES BESIDES FRANCE. NOTE THAT THE U.K. ONLY HAS ONE
ACTUAL QUOTA (COTTON YARN FROM EGYPT) WHICH IS PART OF THE COMMUN I
VIDE QUOTA. ALL THE OTHER MEASURES WHICH INVOLVE THE U.K. MARKET
ARE, ON WILL BE, THE RESULT OF VOLUNTARY RESTRAINT.
/DETAILS,
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