RESTRICTED
ESPECIALLY BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE YEAR, BECAUSE OF THE THREAT OF OVERSHIPMENT. THE IRISH AND DUTCH DELEGATIONS AGREED. THE UK REMINDED THE COMMISSION OF THEIR PROBLEMS WITH COLOMBIA. THERE WOULD ALSO BE ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS IN CHANGING THE REGIME AT THIS STAGE. LAVENANT SUGGESTED THE COMMISSION MIGHT TELEX THE MEMBER STATESS ABOUT THEIR INTENTION TO MODIFY THE REGULATION AND EXPRESS THE WISH THAT MEMBER STATES WOULD COMPLY
WITH THE INTENDED GESTURE. NEUNDORFER SUGGESTED ANOTHER WAY ROUND THE PROBLEM, I E TELLING EGYPT THAT SOME MEMBER STATES
COULD E FLEXIBLE.
4. THE UK SAID THEY WOULD NOT OBJECT IN PRINCIPLE TO LAVENANT'S SUGGESTION PROVIDED THERE WAS NO OBLIGATION ON MEMBER STATES TO MAKE THE TEMPORARY LIBERALISATION. THE CHAIRMAN CONCLUDED THAT MEMBER STATES WERE UNABLE TO TAKE FIRM POSITIONS AND INVITED THE COMMISSION TO CONSIDER A TELEX ON THE LINES SUGGESTED BY THE FRENCH, HE MADE IT CLEAR THAT ANY UNDERSTANDING THE COMMISSION REACHED WITH EGYPT WOULD BE ON THEIR OWN RESPONSIBILITY.
5.
HOFFMANN LATER REPORTED THAT THE COMMISSION HAD SPOKEN TO HAMZA ON THE LINES DISCUSSED IN THE 113 COMMITTEE. A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WOULD BE DRAWN UP WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO WHATEVER REGULATION WAS ADOPTED ON 1 JANUARY. THE COMMISSION HAD MADE IT CLEAR THAT SOME MEMBER STATES WOULD BE UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH THE QUOTE GESTURE UNQUOTE. HAMZA WAS REPORTED AS SAYING PE FULLY UNDERSTOOD THE UK'S POSITION AND THAT THE COMMISSION'S GESTURE WOULD HAVE QUOTE NO PRACTICAL CONSEQUENCES FOR THE UK UNQUOTE. HOFFMANN THEN CONSULTED THE UK DELEGATION ABOUT THE WORDING OF A TELEX TO MEMBER STATES. THE LATTER SAID IT SHOULD SAY THAT IT WAS THE COMMISSIOND'S INTENTION TO PROPOSE A MODIFICATION TO THE COUNCIL REGULATION IN RESPECT OF EGYPTIAN COTTON YARN AND SHOULD MERELY EXPRESS THE HOPE THAT MEMBER STATES WOULD BE ABLE TO ACT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS INTENTION. HOFFMANN NOTED THIS AND CONFIRMED THAT THE TELEX WOULD NOT CALL FOR A
RESPONSE.
RESTRICTED
/FCO PLEASE
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