TNAG-1297-FCO40-1652-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 141

CONFIDENTIAL

(now

(d), Renegotiation of the Terms of Entry Into

the European Economic Community (April 1974): Cmnd 5593. (This is the text of a statement delivered by the then Foreign Secretary in the Council of Ministers on 1 April 1974 setting the scene for "renegotiation");

removed from End. envelgre Jaña me to

Submissie

3.

Referendum on United Kingdom Membership of the European Community (February 1975): Cmnd 5925 (This is a document setting out the Government's views on the conduct of the proposed Referendum);

(f) Membership of the European Community (March 1975):

Cmnd 5999. (This is a statement made by the then Prime Minister to the House of Commons on

18 March 1975 concerning the outcome of the "renegotiation").

Of these various White Papers the most interesting for present purposes is the one entitled "The United Kingdom and the European Communities": Cmnd 4715. It will be recalled that negotiations had been proceeding on our third application for entry into the European Communities since 30 June 1970. The White Paper issued in July 1971 contained a pretty elaborate account of the outcome of the negotiations between 30 June 1970 and the end of July 1971. However, the negotiations were still proceeding in July 1971. Among issues which had not yet been brought to a conclusion was a question of fisheries. Furthermore, as paragraph 68 of the White Paper points out, a good deal more work remained to be done, including the detailed elaboration of some agreements already reached in principle and the drafting of the Treaty of Accession. I should, however, point out that during the entry negotiations in 1970 and 1971, Mr Rippon was accustomed to make a detailed statement to Parliament after each ministerial round in the negotiations. The White Paper published in July 1971 accordingly contained a lot of material which had already been revealed to Parliament at earlier stages.

4. In the particular context of Hong Kong, one can of course include as much or as little of the detail of the negotiations as is thought to be politically desirable at the time. One need not have anything quite as elaborate as the White Paper to which I have drawn particular attention. But this White Paper is an example of the kind of thing which has been presented to Parliament during the course of ongoing negotiations and as a preliminary to an extensive debate in Parliament.

5. I am sending a copy of this minute, together with a copy of your minute to Mr Clift of 7 March to ECD(I) in case they have anything to add.

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Ian Sinclair

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