TNAG-0762-FCO40-966-Effect-of-GATT-Multi-Fibre-Arrangement-(MFA)-on-Hong-Kong-ex-1978 — Page 198

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FM U EP BRUSSELS 251705Z

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TO ROUTINE FCO TELNO 434 OF 25 JANUARY.

INFO SAVING UKMIS GENEVA.

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970. $1

31 JAN 1973

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COMMITTEE OF PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVES (DEPUTIES), WEDNESDAY

25 JANUARY 1978: TEXTILES

1. AN ORAL PRESENTATION BY THE COMMISSION (TRAN) CONTAINED LITTLE NEW. THE COMMITTEE AGREED, AT THE CHAIR'S SUGGESTION, THAT THE ARTICLE 113 COMMITTEE (TEXTILES) SHOULD TOMORROW PUT THE FINISHING TOUCHES TO THE ANNEXES OF THE PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL REGULATION THAT WILL EXTEND FOR THE REMAINDER OF 1978 THE TWO COMMISSION INSTRUMENTS NOW IN FORCE. THE PRESIDENCY INTENDS THAT COREPER SHOULD TAKE THE REGULATION AT ITS MEETING NEXT WEEK THUS PERMITTING IT TO COME AS AN 'A' POINT TO THE 7 FEBRUARY FOREIGN

AFFAIRS COUNCIL.

2. THE MAJOR PART OF TRAN'S PRESENTATION CONSISTED OF A REPETITION OF HIS REMARKS TO THE ARTICLE 113 COMMITTEE LAST FRIDAY ABOUT THE NECESSITY OF STRENGTHENING THE COMMISSION SERVICES IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT OF THE BILATERAL

IN AGREEMENTS (OUR TELNO 361). HE ADDED THAT, THE COMMISSION'S ESTIMATION, THE COMMUNITY'S IMPORTS OF MFA PRODUCTS FROM LOW-COST SOURCES IN 1973 RISKED REACHING A LEVEL 10-50 PERCENT ABOVE THAT OF 1976. WHETHER IMPORTS FELL AT THE LOWER OR THE HIGHER END OF THIS SCALE DEPENDED VERY MUCH ON THE EFFICACITY OF THE SURVEILLANCE MACHINERY AT THE DISPOSAL OF THE COMMISSION AND OF THE MEMBER STATES. IF THE COUNCIL DID NOT GRANT THE COMMISSION A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF POST TO FULFILL THEIR PART OF THIS TASK THE COMMISSION WOULD FEEL BOUND TO ENSURE THAT THE CORRESPONDING RESPONSIBILITIES LAID ON THEM WENT UNPERFORMED.

3.

THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION, SCHEER (FRANCE) GAVE NOTICE OF CERTAIN WELL-KNOWN FRENCH, ANXIETIES ABOUT THE IMPORT REGIME FOR THE ASSOCIATED AND PREFERENTIAL COUNTRIES, AND SHOWED NO SIGN OF HAVING BEEN SATISFIED BY TRAN'S REPLY.

14.