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The Formation of a Committee to Examine the Proposals

7. The United Kingdom representative on the O.E.E.C. has reported that the Swiss and Portuguese Governments are hostile to the Swedish proposals, that the French, and to a lesser extent the Austrians and Dutch, are in favour of it, and -that the other member Governments are either lukewarm or have not made have not made up their minds. But he does not think that any of the other Governments would wish to object to the appointment of a committee to examine the proposals.20

8. It would, however, be safer if no committee were appointed at this stage whatever its terms of reference. Once the organisation are committed to examining the Swedish proposals it will be more difficult for us to block them.. But we may not be able to oppose the appointment of a committee without finding ourselves in isola- tion and it would in fact be without precedent in the organisation for a proposal to be rejected without study.

9. If our hostility to their proposals is plainly expressed to the Swedish repre- sentative in a preliminary discussion in London and is propagated by our representative on the O.E.E.C. among his colleagues in Paris, there may be less pressure at the Council of Ministers itself.

Conclusions

10.-(1) His Majesty's Government should oppose any early implementation of the Swedish proposals;

(2) They should seek to prevent the appointment at this stage of any committee to examine the proposals;

(3) But if strongly pressed they should acquiesce in the appointment of such a committee, provided its terms of reference in no way prejudge the main issue.

Foreign Office, S.W. 1,

19th April, 1951.

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