TNAG-0629-FCO40-777-Effect-of-GATT-Multi-Fibre-Arrangement-on-Hong-Kong-negotiat-1988 — Page 26

I

COUNCIL OF MINISTERS (FOREIGN AFFAIRS)

BRUSSELS, 19/20 SEPTEMBER 1977

BRIEF TO

172)

PROPOSAL FOR BILATERAL TEXTILES AGREEMENTS

Discussion Document:

References:

COM(77)430: Commission recommendation

on negotiating directives for

bilateral agreements under the Multi- Fibre Arrangement.

UKK 121 616/1

KELLIVED IM NG SEST NO. DA

2 1 SEP 1983

en fatten

INTRODUCTION

1.

The Commission will ask the Council to approve the

broad lines of its overall approach on future import

seels arrangements for textiles. It will eck the Council te

[ment to] agree the five points in section IV of the Discussion

Document. The most important of these, Point 5, would,

subject to subsequent resolution of the remaining problems,

give the Commission authority to open negotiations for

bilateral agreements with the Community's major supplying

countries. The breakdown of the quota figures between the

Community's various supplying countries, which will form

the core of the Commission's negotiating mandate with each

individual country, has not yet been completed. The break-

down will be submitted, after the Council, to the Member

States at Working Group and COREPER level.

LINE TO TAKE

2. The UK's overriding concerns for the Community's textile

approach are well known:

(a) any commitment to sign a renewed MFA must be

firmly conditional on full satisfaction in the

bilateral agreements;

/(b)