ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(79)126
Vol.1979/0065

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(79)126 final
Brussels.14march1979
COMMUNICATION FROMTHECOMMISSION TOTHECOUNCIL
CONCERNING THEFURTHER EXTENSION OFTHE
INTERNATIONAL WHEATAGREEMENT 1971
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C0M(79)126final

Introduction
1.TheInternational WheatAgreement,1971willexpireon30June1979unless
itisreplacedbyanewagreementorextendedbyprotocolbeforethatdate.
2.Thenegotiations foranewagreementhavingbeensuspendedsinedieon
14February1979,thefinalnegotiating conferenceresolutioncalledfor
theextensionoftheexistingAgreementforafurtherperiodbymeansof
ProtocolsofExtension.TheCommunitysubscribedtothisresolution,as
didallotherparticipants intheConference,anditisnownecessaryto
implementit.
3.Therequiredprocedureisforthetextsofthe
-draft1979ProtocolforthefifthextensionoftheWheatTrade
Convention 1971;andthe
–draft1979ProtocolforthefifthextensionoftheFoodAid
Convention,1971 f
tobeconsideredrespectively bytheInternational WheatCouncilandthe
FoodAidCommitteeattheirsessionstobeheldintheweekcommencing
19March1979,andapprovedbyaConferencetoestablishthetexts,to
beheldon21March1979.
4.Thedrafttextsunderconsideration areinthesametermsastheProtocols
forthefourthextensionoftheAgreement,buttwoquestionsofsubstance
remaintobedecided:(a)thedurationoftheextension;and
(b)thequantitative obligations undertheFoodAid
Convention .
Duration
5.Themainpurposeoftheextensionistopermitsufficienttimefortheneces­
sarypoliticalwilltobegeneratedtocompletethenegotiation ofanewcereal
agreementwitheconomicprovisions.Thisisnotaprocessthatcanbehurried.
Itwouldthereforebeimprudenttoadoptonlyaoneryearextension,sincethis
mightleadto'thebuild-upofpressurestoresumesubstantivenegotiations be­
forethetimewasripe.TheCommunityshouldthereforeargueinfavourofa
two-yearextension,butshouldbepreparedtoacceptwhateverperiodachieved
consensus .
6.Ifitsohappensthatanewsubstantive agreementcouldbenegotiatedbefore
theendofthisperiod,thedrafttextsprovideforthereplacement ofthe

protocolsbythenewagreementwithoutthenecessityofwaitinqtillthe
endoftheperiodofextension.
Quantitative obligations undertheFoodAidConvention
7.Thedrafttextprovidesforthecontinuation ofthesameobligations as
before,namely,inthecaseoftheCommunity,aminimumannualcontribution
of1,287,000tonnes.
8.Duringthecourseofthenegotiations foranewFoodAidConvention,which
formedpartoftheoverallcerealsnegotiations,alldonorcountrieshadput
forwardincreasedfiguresfortheirnewobligations (1,650,000tonnesinthe
caseoftheCommunity).
9.Itistobeexpectedthat,duringtheInternational WheatCouncilmeetings
whichprecedetheadoptionofthetextsoftheprotocolsofextension,there
willbestrongpressurefromdevelopingcountriesforthedonorcountriesto
increasetheirobligations immediatelytothehigherlevelsproposed.
10.TheCommunityshouldbereadytoadoptapositiveattitudeandto
declareitsreadinesstoincreaseitscontribution to1,650,000tonnes.
Itgoeswithoutsayingthatitshouldbelefttothosechargedwith
thenegotiations todecideonthemostappropriatetimingandcontext
foranysuchdeclaration .
"11.Inthisconnection,theCommissiatiwillsubmittothe
BudgetaryAuthorityproposalsfortheappropriate
budgetarymeasurestoenableanyincreaseinthe
cerealsfoodaidprogrammetobeputintoeffectat
theappropriate moment."
Financialimplications
12.Therearenonewfinancial -implications inthepresentproposalotherthan
thecontinuation ofexistingobligationsforafurtherperiodbeyondthe
expiryoftheexistingAgreementon30June1979.
apartfromthoserest.I.tingfromthepositionwhich
theCommunitymighttakeupregardingfoodaidforcereals
(seeparagraphs7-10).Thiswilldependbothonthetotal
amountagreedupon,andonthebreakdownofthistotal
betweentheCommunityassuchandtheMemberStates."

Recommendation
13.TheCommissionrecommendsthattheCouncilauthoriseittonegotiate,on
behalfoftheCommunity,ProtocolsofExtensionoftheexistingWheatTrade
Convention andFoodAidConventionwithoutmodification oftheircontent.
Conclusion
14.Aftertheestablishment ofthetextsoftheProtocolson21March1979,
theCommissionwillmakethenecessaryproceduralproposalstotheCouncil
fortheirimplementation throughsignatureandthedepositofdeclarations
ofprovisionalapplication,asontheoccasionofearlierextensions .