TNAG-0631-FCO40-779-Effect-of-GATT-Multi-Fibre-Arrangement-on-Hong-Kong-negotiat-1977 — Page 86

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10. KITTEL (GERMANY) THANKED THE COMMISSION FOR THEIR IMPRES YE

EFFOTS. BUT THOSE COULD ONLY BE JUSTIFIED IN THE LIGHT OF THE OBJEC- TIVES, AND THESE WERE AS THE FIRST PRIORITY TO RENEW THE MFA. EQUAL

PRIORITY SHOULD HOWEVER BE GIVEN TO THE PREPARATION FOR AUTONOMOUS

MEASURES IF THESE BECAME REGRETTABLY NECESSARY. AS REGARDS THE INTER-

NAL GLOBAL CEILINGS MEMBER STATES SHOULD NOT LOOK TO SEE THE MAND-

ATE EXECUTED IN EVERY LETTER AND DETAIL BUT IN THE LIGHT OF THE BASIC

OBJECTIVES. HE HOPED THAT WHAT THE COMMUNITY WAS DOING IN THE

TEXTILES FIELD WOULD NOT CREATE A PRECEDENT.

11. LARSEN (DENMARK) AGREED WITH THE GERMAN INTERVENTION. HE WARN-

ED THAT AUTONOMOUS MEASURES WOULD HAVE REPERCUSSIONS ON THE COMMUN-

ITY'S INTERNATIONAL TRADE RELATIONS. MEMBER STATES NEEDED TIME

TO REFLECT ON THIS MATTER. HE ASKED WHAT LEGAL BASIS THE COMMISSION

COULD USE IN DEFENDING AUTONOMOUS MEASURES INTERNATIONALLY AND

QUERIED THE USE OF 1973 AS A BASE YEAR.

12. SCHEER (FRANCE) WAS BROADLY SATISFIED WITH MUCH OF WHAT TRAN HAD SAID, THOUGH HE HAD SOME RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE COURSE OF ACTION PROPOSED FOR THE PREFERENTIAL COUNTRIES. HE SHARED THE UK

CONCERN ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DIRECTIVES. IT WAS ESSENTIAL THAT

THERE SHOULD BE NO BREACH OF THE INTERNAL GLOBAL CEILINGS WITHOUT

A DECISION BY THE COUNCIL. HE CHALLENGED TRAN'S SUGGESTION THAT COVERAGE OF 75% OF IMPORTS FROM LOW COST SOURCES WOULD REPRESENT

ACCESS. FRANCE WANTED 100%. THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT WOULD IN ANY CASE

GO OVER THE AGREEMENTS REACHED WITH A FINE TOOTH-COMB BEFORE BEING

ABLE TO DECIDE AT THE END OF THE DAY WHETHER OR NOT THE PACKAGE

WAS ACCEPTABLE.

13. VAN SWINDEREN (NETHERLANDS) SAID THAT THE PROBLEM OF THE TREAT-

MENT TO BE ACCORDED TO THE PREFERENTIAL COUNTRIES WENT BEYOND THE

TEXTILE SPHERE. IT SHOULD BE DISCUSSED IN OTHER COMMITTEES OR PER- HAPS BY COREPER (AMBASSADORS).

14. DE SMAEL (BELGIUM) STRESSED THAT WHEN THE BELGIAN AUTHORITIES

EVALUATED THE FINAL RESULTS THEY WOULD CERTAINLY FIND IT DIFFICULT

TO ACCEPT ANY THAT RESULTED IN DISCRIMINATION AMONGST MEMBER STATES

AGAINST BELGIUM,

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