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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(73)2151
Vol.1973/0391

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(73 )2151 final
Brussels ,17december 1973
DECISION OFTHE COUNCIL
authorizing theFrench Republic totake certain
anti-inflationary measures relating toCommercial
policy
(submitted totheCouncil bytheCommission )
COM(73 )2151 final

EXPLANATORY' M3M0RAHDUM
1.On7December1973theFrenchGovernmentinformedtheotherMember .
StatesandtheCommission,bytelexfromitsPermanentRepresentation ,of
itsintentiontoadoptcertainautonomousmeasuresofcommercialpolicy
withintheframeworkofitsanti-inflation programmeandinaccordancewith
itemVIIoftheCouncilResolutionof4December1973»
Thosemeasures,whichrelatebothtoagricultural andmanufactured
products,mnybesummarizedasfollows:
(a)Acontinuationforaperiodofsixmonthsfrom1January1974ofthe
measuresadoptedon11July1973toliberalizeimportsofprocessed
agrictiltural productsandcertainotheragricultural products.
(b)Increasesintheamountsofoverallandbilateralimportquotasgenerally
ofexcludingajnmonitrates ,radioandtelevisionreceivingapparatus
andtheirspareparts.
However,forcertainproducts(gloves,undergarments ,men'sandboys1clo­
thing)therewouldbeamaximumincreaseof3O7L
Theseincreaseswouldapplytoquotasopenedin.1973(basicquotasplus
shorttermincreasesfixedinJuly1973)*
2.AttherequestoftheCommissionthemeasuresplannedwere,on11
December1973»studiedasreferredtoinArticle2oftherelevantCouncil
Decisionof19December1972onthestandardization ofimportarrangements
oftheMemberStatesinrespectofthirdcountries.
../2

2-
TheCommission recalls moreover asregards thetextile products
which will becovered bythemultilateral agreement being negotiated at
present (wool ,cotton andsynthetic andartificial fibres )andproducts
originating inJapan ,that byreason oftheCouncil 'sauthorization to
commence negotiations with these countries inaccordance with Article 5
oftheDecision of19December 1972 prior authorization ofthe Council
isalways necessary before adopting themeasures planned .
While thedocument wasbeing studied most Delegations didnotraise
any objections tothemeasures planned bytheFrench Government .TheDele­
gations from theBenelux countries andfrom Italy hadcertain misgivings ,
particularly with regard tosensitive products such astextiles .However ,
theCommission regards these misgivings asbeing unjustified inthe light
ofthe short term nature oftheproposed measures and ofthefact that the
supplementary quotas apply only toimports for1973 andshall net affect
thefixing ofquotas tobeopened for1974 *
Indeed ,theFronch Delegation stated explicitly ,thereby allaying ,
toacertain extent ,thefears expressed bytheDelegations from the
Benelux countries andfrom Italy ,Itshould bestressed that these Delega­
tions expressed thewish that this statement beconfirmed inthe Council
minutes oftheproposed Decision attached hereto (Annex l).
3. Asfar asthe Commission itself isconcerned itconsiders that the
proposed increases donotconcern products which are subject tovoluntary
restraint under Community Agreements .
Moreover ,theCommission notes that theincreases proposed forthe
textile sector ,even ifthey areenly short-term ,conform with theguide­
lines laid down forthe establishment ofcommon import arrangements for ■
textile products assetforth inthememo from theCommission tothe
Council on30October 1973 (doc .SEC (73)3901 final )andinparticular'
item 8thereof .
/
•/ ••

3-
4. TheCommission ,mindful oftheabove considerations ,isofthe
opinion that Prance should beauthorized toadopt theproposed measures ,
Aproposal foraDecision relating thereto issubmitted for
Council approval .

PROPOSAL FORADECISION OFTEE
COUNCILCONCERNING MODIFICATIONS PLANNEDBYTHEFRENCH
REPUBLIC TOITSIMPORT/JLRANGEMENTS INORDERTOCOMBAT
INFLATION
THECOUNCILOFTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES ,■ .
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishing theEuropeanEconomicCommunity,
andinparticularArticle113;
HavingregardtotheCouncilDecisionof19December1972(l)fixingcer­
taintransitional measuresforthegradualstandardization ofimport
arrangements oftheMemberStateswithregardtothirdcountries,andin
particularArticle5thereof;
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission ;
WhereastheFrenchRepublichas,inaccordancewithArticle1ofthe
aforementioned Decisionof19December1972,informedtheotherMember
StatesandtheCommissionthatitintendstomakecertainautonomous
modifications toitsimportarrangements inrespectofthirdcountries
aspartofitsanti-inflation programmeandinaccordancewiththerele­
vantCouncilResolutionof4December19735 ;-
WhereastheFrenchGovernment intendstocontinuetheliberalization of
importofcertainprocessedagricultural productsforaperiodofsix
monthsfromjJanuary1974»saidtoincreasetheimportquotasofalmostall
manufactured productsincludingcertaintextileproductsfor1973without
affectingtheamountorvolumeofquotasfor19745

2
Whereas theCouncil ,inaDecision of6Uovember 1973»authorized the
Community tojoin ,innegotiating anAgreement ontheinternational trade
intextiles within theframework ofGATT and inJuly 1970 had authorized
thenegotiation ofatrade agreement with Japan ;
Whereas theFrench Republic may nottherefore ,according toArticle 5°f
theaforementioned Decision of19December 1972 ,increase import quotas
oftextile products onthe onehand ,andintroduce measures relating to
products originating inJapan onthe other hand without prior authorization ;
Whereas these special temporary measures areunlikely toaffect Community
interest particularly asregards negotiations inprogress andmay therefore
bebrought into force bytheFrench Republic ;
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION :
Article 1
The autonomous measures tofree imports foraperiod ofsixmonths from 1
January 1974 andthe autonomous increases inimport quotas for 1973
planned bytheFrench Republic andnotified on7December 1973 maybe
brought into force .
Ar+icle 2
This Decision isaddressed totheFrench Republic ,
Dona atBrussels For the Council