TNAG-0762-FCO40-966-Effect-of-GATT-Multi-Fibre-Arrangement-(MFA)-on-Hong-Kong-ex-1978 — Page 165

FIRST PLACE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT MFA PRODUCTS, NOT ALL TEXTILE PRODUCTS, THOUGH THE DIFFERENCE WAS ADMITTEDLY INSIGNIFICANT. SECONDLY, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE DURATION OF THE MFA ONLY (IT

TO BE EXPECTED THAT THIS YEAR'S REGULATION WOULD BE ROLLED FORWARD ANNUALLY IN MUCH THE SAME FORM FOR THE DURATION OF THE EXTENDED ARRANGEMENT). BUT THIRDLY, BY THE TIME THE MFA AND THE PRESENT COMMUNITY TEXTILE IMPORT REGIME EXPIRED, WE WOULD IN ANY EVENT BE OUT OF THE PERIOD OF THE COMPROMISE AMENDMENT AND INTO AN ERA OF A MORE STRICTLY COMMUNAUTAIRE IMPORT REGIME.

7. NICOLL (UK) WAS SUPPORTED BY THE CHAIR WHEN HE URGED THE DUTCH NOT TO JEOPARDIZE ALL THE WORK THAT HAD BEEN DONE ON THE AMENDMENT TO THE COMMON RULES FOR IMPORTS FOR THE SAKE OF AN UNREAL ISSUE. LARSEN (DANISH PRESIDENCY) ADDED THAT HE HAD NO INTENTION OF PERMITTING A FURTHER DISCUSSION AT COREPER. HE EXPECTED THE DUTCH TO INFORM THE PRESIDENCY BEFORE NEXT WEEK'S MEETING

THAT THEY COULD ACCEPT THE WORDING AGREED THIS AFTERNOON. IF THEY COULD NOT, THE DOSSIER WOULD BE PUT ON ICE''.

FCO ADVANCE TO:-

FCO

CAB

DOI

DOT

MAITLAND

NNNN

WILLIS (EID E).

HARRIS.

MISS LOWNE (CT).

SPENCER, MISS MACFARLANE (CRE1), ABRAMSON.

1.

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