CONFIDENTIAL
ON THE OVERALL PACKAGE. HE SAID FRANCE WAS IN NO POSITION TO ACCEPT A TEXT AT THIS STAGE AND URGED THE COMMISSION TO TAKE NO ACTION WHICH WOULD APPEAR TO COMMIT THE COMMUNITY IN ADVANCE
OF THE COUNCIL.
4. WE SPOKE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS IN YOUR TUR. THE DUTCH AND ITALIANS EXPRESSED SIMILAR RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE ACCEPTANCE OF A TEXT BEFORE THE COUNCIL. THE DUTCH SUGGESTED THAT IN THE EVENT OF A CONSENSUS EMERGING IN THE TEXTILES COMMITTEE THE COMMISSION SHOULD LIMIT THEMSELVES TO NOTING THAT CONSENSUS AND REPORTING IT TO THE COUNCIL AS PART OF THE OVERALL PACKAGE.
THE BELGIANS SUPPORTED THIS SUGGESTION. THE GERMANS AND DANES
GAVE THE COMMISSION THEIR FULL SUPPORT.
5. KLARIC ARGUED THAT THE IMMEDIATE OPENING OF A PROTOCOL
ESTABLISHING THE MULTILATERAL LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUTURE
WAS ESSENTIAL. WITHOUT THIS THE EXPORTING COUNTRIES WOULD NOT SIGN UP ON THE TEXTS OF THEIR BILATERAL AGREEMENTS WITH THE
COMMUNITY. THE COMMISSION COULD ONLY CONCLUDE FROM THE OBJECTIONS
RAISED THAT CERTAIN MEMBER STATES WERE DETERMINED TO FRUSTRATE
THE SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF THESE BILATERALS.
6. THE COMMISSION (LUYTEN) REPORTED JUST BEFORE LUNCH THAT THE PROPOSED MEETING OF THE TEXTILES COMMITTEE HAD BEEN DEFERRED BECAUSE THE EXPORTING COUNTRIES (WHO WERE ALSO WORKING ON A TEXT)
WERE UNABLE TO AGREE AMONG THEMSELVES. INSTEAD THERE WOULD BE
A 7+7 MEETING TO CONSIDER THE POSITION. ON ARRIVAL AT THE MEETING PLACE WE WERE TOLD, AMID GENERAL CONFUSION, THAT THIS MEETING TOO WAS CANCELLED AS THE DIFFICULTIES OF THE EXPORTING COUNTRIES
APPEARED TO BE INCREASING. THERE WILL BE A FURTHER MEETING OF THE 113 COMMITTEE LATER TODAY. MOST RECENT INDICATIONS (FOR
WHAT THEY ARE WORTH) ARE THAT MR LONG WILL PUT OFF THE TEXTILES
COMMITTEE UNTIL 12/13 DECEMBER IN THE HOPE THAT DIFFERENCES
CAN BE RESOLVED IN THE MEANTIME.
- 2 - CONFIDENTIAL
/FCO
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