TNAG-1497-FCO40-2055-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 77

eRs 360 RESTRICTED

FM STOCKHOLM

TO IMMED NATE FCO

LNO 168

OF 03151OZ JUNE 86

INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP BRUSSELS

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нии 166/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

1 1 JUN 1986

UPS OFFICER

INDLA

PA

REGISTRY Action Taken

127

سلام

PA Cheryl

MY TELNO 167

EC RESTRICTIONS ON FOOD IMPORTS: CERTIFICATION

1. DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MFA RESPONSIBLE FOR EC/EFTA AFFAIRS ASKED ME TO CALL THIS AFTERNOON. RESPONSIBLE AUTHORITIES ARE WORRIED'' ABOUT HMG'S CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT. GIVEN SWEDISH POLITENESS, MEANS IN FACT THAT THEY ARE VERY UPSET BY IT.

THIS

2. OFFICIAL EMPHASIZED THAT SWEDEN HAD BEEN VERY ANXIOUS FROM THE BEGINNING TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THE COMMUNITY ON PROBLEMS ARISING AFTER CHERNOBYL. THEY HAD NOT IMPOSED ANY CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS ON IMPORTS FROM THE COMMUNITY COUNTRIES EVEN THOUGH THEIR OWN LIMITS ARE STRICTER. HAVING NOTIFIED THE COMMUNITY OF THEIR MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE LEVELS (BASICALLY 300 BQ/KG), THEY WERE PROCEEDING ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT ANY IMPORTS FROM THE COMMUNITY WOULD BE WITH IN THESE LIMITS.

3. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, WE WERE THE ONLY COMMUNITY COUNTRY TO HAVE ASKED SWEDEN TO CERTIFY EXPORTS. THEN

HAVE ASKED SWEDEN TO CERTIFY EXPORTS. THEIR AUTHORITIES ARE PROBABLY AS RELUCTANT TO HAVE TO PROVIDE A CERTIFICATE FOR EACH AND EVERY EXPORT TO BRITAIN (EXPORTS LAST YEAR TO BRITAIN OF PRODUCTS NOW REQUIRING CERTIFICATION CAME TO £6 MILLION OUT OF TOTAL EXPORTS OF SOME £200 MILLION) AS WE ARE TO HAVE TO CHECK CONSIGNMENTS ON ARRIVAL AT PORT. HOWEVER, SWEDISH OBJECTIONS AS PUT TO ME ARE MORE OF PRINCIPLE. SPECIFICALLY, THEY SEE OUR APPROACH AS OUT OF KEEPING WITH THE CHARACTER OF RELATIONS BETWEEN COMMUNITY AND EFTA COUNTRIES, AND ESPECIALLY THE CONTINUING PROGRESS TOWARDS SIMPLIFICATION AND HARMONIZATION OF PROCEDURES IN THE INTERESTS OF THE COMMERCIAL RELATIONSHIP. THEY WILL BE RAISING THE MATTER THROUGH THEIR EMBASSY IN LONDON AND IN BRUSSELS.

4. THEY VERY MUCH HOPE THAT WE WILL BE PREPARED TO THINK AGAIN, GIVEN THAT THEIR OWN REQUIREMENTS ARE STRICTER THAN OURS AND THEIR MONITORING PROCEDURES ARE CAREFUL AND THOROUGH ( HAVE BEEN PROMISED DETAILS WHICH WILL BE FORWARDED TOMORROW).

5.

WENT OVER THE REASONS WHY WE HAD DECIDED TO ASK FOR CERTIFICATES AND REMINDED THEM THAT THIS ACTION HAD BEEN TAKEN TO MEET A VERY SPECIFIC EMERGENCY SITUATION AND SO SHOULD NOT BE SEEN AS A BREACH OF THE SPIRIT OF EC/COMMUNITY HARMONIZATION. NEVERTHELESS THIS IS VERY MUCH HOW THE SWEDES SEE IT.

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