TNAG-0631-FCO40-779-Effect-of-GATT-Multi-Fibre-Arrangement-on-Hong-Kong-negotiat-1977 — Page 88

CONFIDENTIAL

COMMENT

19. THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE OF THE INTERVENTION WE HAD BEEN PLANNING TO MAKE WAS IN THE EVENT PREEMPTED TO SOME EXTENT BY TRAN'S STATE- MENT, WHICH CLEARLY GOES A LONG WAY TOWARDS MEETING THE IMMEDIATE CONCERNS OF MEMBER STATES. BUT THIS WAS A USEFUL SESSION. THE COMM- ISSION HAVE BEEN PUT ON NOTICE, AND APPEAR NOW TO HAVE FULLY APPREC- IATED THAT MEMBER STATES CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO TOLERATE ANY BREACH-

ING OF THE INTERNAL GLOBAL CEILINGS WITHOUT A FRESH DISCUSSION IN THE COUNCIL. WE INTERPRET TRAN'S ORAL REPORT TO COREPER, AND HIS FULLER WRITTEN REPORT (WHICH HAS ALSO BEEN SUBMITTED FORMALLY TO THE COMMISSION) AS A SIGNAL THAT THE COMMISSION IS CONTEMPLATING SEEKING A REVISION IN THE NEGOTIATING DIRECTIVES FROM THE COUNCIL, POSSIBLYON 21/22 NOVEMBER.

MAITLAND

FRAME EXTERNAL

EID (E)

HK & GD S AM D

-6- CONFIDENTIAL

ADDITIONAL DISTN FRAME

COPIES TO

MR RIDLEY

DOI

MISS LOWNE CT DIV DOI

MR ABRAMSON

MR HELLINGS

DOT

MISS MACFARLANE

CRE1)

ODM

MR BAXTER

MR HARRIS CABINET OFFICE

MR MITCHELL TREASURY