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9. THE NETHERLANDS, DANISH AND IRISH CONFIRMED THEIR GOVERNMENTS'
ACCEPTANCE OF THE COMMISSION'S REPORT AND THE PROPOSALS IT CON
NED.
19. MR DELL ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE COMMISSION HAD ACHIEVED WHAT THEY
COULD. BUT THE COUNCIL HAD TO DECIDE WHETHER THE RESULTS WERE
SUFFICIENTLY CLOSE TO THE MANDATE TO ENABLE IT TO RENEW THE MFA.
BEFORE HE COULD DO THIS FOR THE UK HE NEEDED TO HAVE REPLIES FROM
THE COMMISSION ON CERTAIN POINTS AND THEN A LITTLE TIME TO CONSIDER
THESE REPLIES. ON THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR DEALING WITH NEWCOMERS THE
FORMULA NOW USED IN THE COMMISSION'S PAPER WENT SOME WAY TO MEETING
OUR CONCERNS BUT WE WOULD WELCOME AN ASSURANCE FROM THE COMMISSION
THAT ACTION WOULD BE SPEEDY. ON SPAIN HE WOULD LIKE TO BE ASSURED
THAT THE COMMISSION WOULD TAKE AUTONOMOUS ACTION IN THE EVENT OF
THIS BEING NECESSARY, INTER ALIA, TO COVER SPAIN'S COTTON YARN
EXPORTS TO THE UK.
11. BUT THIS APART THE UK STILL HAD THREE MAJOR DIFFICULTIES WITH
THE RESULTS OF THESE NEGOTIATIONS AS SET OUT IN THE COMMISSION'S
REPORT:
(A) IT WAS DIFFICULT TO MAKE A FIRM ASSESSMENT OF WHAT HAD ACTUALLY
HAPPENED. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO CONFIRM THE FIGURES. WE HAD
ALREADY MADE OUR OWN ASSESSMENT WHICH IN CERTAIN RESPECTS GAVE
US CAUSE TO WORRY: STEEP RISES IN IMPORT PENETRATION SEEDED
CERTAIN IN SOME PRODUCTS. HE COULD NOT DEFEND TO HIS INDUSTRY OR
TO HIS GOVERNMENT COLLEAGUES AN ACQUIESCENCE IN A DEAL WHERE
THE VITAL ELEMENTS WERE OBSCURE. THIS APPLIED TO ALL PRODUCTS
SENSITIVE TO THE UK IN GROUPS 2 -
- 6.
(B) THE AGREEMENTS INFORMALLY INITIALLED WITH THE FOUR OUTSTANDING
SUPPLIERS GAVE US PROBLEMS. DESPITE OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO HONG KONG WE HAD BEEN WILLING TO GO ALONG WITH THE VERY TOUGH
TREATMENT ACCORDED TO THE COLONY - WHICH, HE WANTED TO BE NOTED, WAS A COMMUNITY WHICH OPERATED AN OPEN DOOR POLICY TO THE EEC'S
EXPORTERS, UNLIKE SOME OTHER MAJOR TEXTILE PRODUCERS. WE HAD
ACCEPTED THIS BECAUSE WE THOUGHT THAT THE COMMISSION WOULD BE
EQUALLY TOUGH WITH OTHER MAJOR SUPPLIERS. THE EVIDENCE WAS
THAT THIS HAD NOT BEEN SO. WOULD IT NOT BE POSSIBLE TO PULL BACK
FROM AGREEMENTS WITH INDIA, PAKISTAN, EGYPT AND BRAZIL IN ORDER
TO GET A RESULT SOMEWHAT CLOSER TO THE MANDATE?
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