No Decision On Trade Groups

Press, Volume C, Issue 29509, 10 May 1961, Page 17

No Decision On Trade Groups

(Special Concepondent NZP.A.) LONDON, May 8. Discussion on relations between the six nations of the European Economic Community and the seven of the European Free Trade Association, and in particular on the association of Britain with the Common Market, was postponed when the Council of Ministers of the Western European Union met in Bonn, saj’s “The Times” correspondent.

The postponement was not due to any serious divergencies—indeed the atmosphere of the talks was described as extremely cordial—but rather to the feeling that the discussion would be premature at this stage. The Ministers had their eye on technical conversations between British and French experts, the second round of which took place in London last week, and is said to have been most promising. These discussions have helped in particular to remove the impression, current since the beginning of the year, that the French Government might not be interested in having Britain in the Common Market at this stage, even if she officially expressed a desire to do so. The Ministers also felt there was little point in taking up the question of relations between Britain and the Six until President Kennedy had met President De Gaulle in Paris at the end of this month. As well as the more hopeful turn taken by the bilateral discussions between France and Britain there are good indications that sharp divergencies within the countries of the Common Market on French proposals for closer political co-ordin-ation, which assumed alarming proportions at the Paris conference earlier this year, have now been overcome. It has been decided that no steps should be taken towards political unity among the Six that would make it more difficult for Britain to join the Common Market if she makes up her mind to do so. The latest British ministerial comment on the Common Market has come from the Home Secretary (Mr R. A. Butler). He said price

support for agriculture on a different system from the present exchequer subsidy would be quite possible if Britain were to join the Common Market, but it would require some ingenuity to protect some products. “There have been signs recently that some of the Common Market countries are prepared to consider a compromise on agricultural policy with a view to facilitating agreement between . Bri'ain and the Common Market,” Mr Butler said. But there were many points to consider before we could accept the terms of the Treaty of Rome under which the six nations came together, he said. "These are whether our Commonwealth trade will suffer, whether our partners in the Seven, including Scandinavia, will agree, and lastly, whether we can look after the vital interests of agriculture and horticulture in the process.”