CONFIDENTIAL
TRADE MINISTERS WERE ALSO UNABLE TO AGREE ON THE LEVEL OF CUTBACKS FOR 1983 OF STEEL IKFORTS INTO THE COMMUNITY FROM THIRD COUNTRIES. THEY REJECTED A COMPROMISE FIGURE OF TEN PER CENT PROPOSED BY THE EC COMMISSION AFTER BOTH ITALY AND BRITAIN ARGUED STRONGLY FOR AT LEAST FIFTEEN PER CENT.
1 TOOK A GLOOMY VIEW ON THE WORLD DEMAND FOR STEEL WHICH HAS SLUMPED BY EIGHT PER CENT WITH NO ÚPTURN IN SIGHT'' SAID HR.REES. HROSE COUNTRY IMPORTS ANNUALLY JUST UNDER ONE MILLION TONNES OF STEEL FROM NON-EC COUNTRIES. 1190 1 ARGUED IT HAS FOR THE EC TO BE SEEN VISIBLY AND PUBLICLY TO BE TAKING ACTION,"’HE SAID.
HE CONTINUED: I ALSO RAISED THE SPECIFIL CASE OF SPAIN AND THE COMMISSION RECOGNISED THIS HAS A SPECIAL CASE PRESENTING PARTI- CULAR DIFFICULTIES FOR THE UK.THEY WILL NOW REPORT BACK TO THE .NEXT MINISTERIAL COUNCIL IN NOVEMBER.' T
TEXTILES
BRITAIN AND OTHER COUNTRIES ALSO SUCCESSFULLY RESISTED AN EC COMMISSION ATTEMPT TO RELAX SLIGHTLY THE MANDATE IN OUTSTANDING NEGOTIATIONS FOR A MULTI-FIBRE ARRANGEKENT WITH THIRD WORLD TEXTILE EXPORTEKS,
SO FAR AGREEMENTS HAVE BEEN REACHED WITH 12 OUT OF A TOTAL OF 27 COUNTRIES BUT NEGOTIATIONS ARE CURRENTLY SUSPENDED WITH MACAO, HONG KONG, SOUTH KOREA, ALL ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH EAST ASIAN (ASEAN) COUNTRIES EXCEPT THAILAND, ARGENTINA AND GRAZIL.
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THE COMMISSION PROPOSED THAT TECHNICAL ADJUSTMENTS SHOULD BE MADE TO 11S NES011ATING MANDATE, NOTABLY TO ALLOW FOR SOKE PART OF UNUSED TEXTILE QUOTAS TO BE TRANSFERRED AMONG OTHER EC COUNTRIES. BRITAIN, ALONG WITH THE IRISH REPUBLIC, ARGUED THAT THESE ADJUSTMENTS AMOUNTED TO SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES WHICH HOULD HAVE RODICALLY AFFECTED QUOTA LEVELS.
SO THE MANDATE WILL STAY UNALTERED EXCEPT FOR SOME KINOR FLEXIBILITY ALLOWED IN NEGOTIATIONS HITHI ASEAN COUNTRIES (THE PHILIPPINES, KALAYSIA, SINGAPORE, INDONESIA, THAILAND). THEY WILL BE OFFERED INTERNAL TRANSFERS BETWEEN THEMSELVES OF UNUSED TEXTILE. QUOTAS.
MINISTERS ALSO ASKED THE COMMISSION TO DRAW UP CONTINGENCY PLANS IN THE EVENT OF THE COMMUNITY' WITHDRAWING FROM THE MFA. BUT 11 WAS BEING STRESSED HERE TONIGHT: THAT IF THAT HAPPENED BILATERAL DEALS ALREADY NEGOTIATED HOULD BE HONOURED. (LPS)
ENDS LATE ITEM (THO)
CENTROFORM LON
'LONDON PRESS SERVICE
CONFIDENTIAL
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