ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES 
DE LA COMMISSION 
 
 
 
COLLECTION RELIEE DES 
DOCUMENTS "COM" 
 
 
 
 
COM (85) 091 
 
 
 
Vol. 1985/0 028 
  
 
Disclaimer  
Conformém ent au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents 
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit 
règlem ent. 
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Economic 
Community and the European Atomic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
27.9.2003, p. 1), this file is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this 
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation. 
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februar 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen 
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983, 
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. Septem ber 2003 
(ABI. L 243 vom 27.9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit 
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5 
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben. 
COMMISSION O F  T H E  EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
CO M (85) 91 f i n a l  
B ru s s e ls , 8 March 1985
COMMUNICATION BY THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL
c o n c e rn in g  a s ta te m e n t to  be made on b e h a lf o f th e  Com m unity a t th e  
3 0 th  s e s s io n  o f th e  UNCTAD Trade and D evelopm ent B oard
CO M (85) 91 f i n a l

COMMUNICATION PROM THE COMMISSION TO '
THE COUNCIL
concerning a statement to be made on behalf 
of the Community at the 30th session of the 
UNCTAD Trade and Development Board

«
Statement to tie made on behalf of the Community at the 30th sessio^i 
of the Trade and Development Board oonoerning the participation of the 
Community in the international institutional machinery established by
i •
the UNCTAD Restrictive Business Practices Code
'  t
Situation to date
t
On 24 July 1984 the Commission sent the Council a communication 
oh the questipp of the participation of the Community in the international 
institutional machinery established by the' UNCTAD Restrictive Business 
Practices Code (Council Do 0.  8758/84). ^
y t i • * '
On 4 September 1984-the Permanent Representatives' Committee 
agreed that a .letter 'jointly signed by the Presidency of the Council 
and the Commission be sent'to the President of the Trade and Development 
Board.
The purpose of the letter was to draw renewed attention to the
"  .  _  . —  *
problem'ahBTicPthe- need to look for a satisfactory solution for the 
Community with an eye to the.3rd session of the Intergovernmental 
Group of Experts due to be held in Geneva on 7-1 6 November 1984. The 
letter did not ask for the matter to be inoluded on the agenda of the 
next (29th) session of the Trade and Development Board.
\
At its 3rd session, the Intergovernmental Group of Experts 
decided to continue to apply the rules of procedure of the main commit­
tees of the Board. Group B supported the Community's position. Group 
D reiterated its earlier position that the rules of procedure of the 
main committees did not prevent the Community from playing an. effective 
part in the Group's work. The Group of 77 did not express an opinion.
f
1

-  2 -
In September 1984 the RELEX Group had seen two possible way of
resolving the problem of Community participation, viz'.:
. . .  · \
t amendment of the institutional provisions of the Code at the  
Review Conference 'scheduled for 1985 so as to guarantee the  
Community's right to full participation;
: ’  '  '  '“ a decision:by the Trade and Development Board amending,the  
rules of procedure applicable to the Intergovernmental Group  
of Experts; Article 64(3) of the Rules of Procedure of the  
Trade and Development Board allows the Board to adopt such a  
derogation.'
Following the 3rd session of the Group of Experts,it now appears ^  
that the first possibility, of obtaining an amendment of the Code at the  
Review Conference, cannot be pursued at this stage since Group B as a  
whole stated that it did nbtsee.any need for a review on the basis of  
the experience acquired to date. A proposal from the Group of 77 sijggesT  
ting points which might be amended was not discussed and was given a  
cool .reception by Group B. '
In the circumstances, therefore, it would seem advisable to  
raise the matter instead at a forthcoming meeting of the Trade and  
Development Board.
The 30th session of the Board is scheduled to begin on 18 March"
1985. Because request s '.f - O T  the inclusion of items on the agenda have to  
be submitted seven weeks in advance and it will be necessary to prepare  
the discussion of the item on the spot, especially with the Group of 77,  
it has not been possible to ask the Board officially to consider the  
matter at the 30th session.
It was also necessary to avoid that the Board refer the solution  
of the problem to the Review Conference where the Group B countries  
are opposed in principle to an amendment of the Code.

- 3 -
It is nevertheless desirable that the Community should make 
an interim statement at the session wtjen the item on the agenda 
asking for approval of the report on the 3rd session of the Intergovern­
mental' Group of Experts is called..  A draft for such a statement-is!submitted 
for the Council's approval. The statement is chiefly intended to safe­
guard the possibility of having, the point included on the agenda of 
a future session of the Board. .  , c .  .  . .  \ '

<  Statement to be made on behalf of. the Community at 
.the 30th session of the UNCTAD Trade and Development 
Board concerning the participation of the Community 
”ïn~the institutional machinery established by the 
Restrictive Business Practices Code
Mr President, ■
On 20 September 1984 the Commission sent to the Trade 
and Development Board a letter drawing the Board's attention to the fact 
that the application of the rules of procedure of the main committees 
of the Board to the work of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts 
set up under the Restrictive Business Praotioes Code prevents the\ 
Community from playing a full part, like the Member States, in the 
work of the Group, contrary to section B (ii) (8) of the Code which1
entitles the,Community to be treated as equivalent to a Member State.
/
• *  4
■ At its 3rd session,, the-Intergovernmental Group of Experts ·
. . I }
continued to apply the .rules of procedure of the main committees.
The Community reserves the,right to ask for this matter 
to be formally included on the agenda of a forthcoming session of the 
Board and accordingly reiterates the position stated in its letter 
of 20 September 1984. The Community seeks to be accorded a status ·  
in keeping with its responsibilities under the Treaty of Rome and 
the experience it has gained in'this field,.