ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(73)1311
Vol.1973/0246

Disclaimer
Conformément aurèglement(CEE,Euratom)n°354/83duConseildu1erfévrier1983
concernantl'ouvertureaupublicdesarchiveshistoriquesdelaCommunauté économique
européenneetdelaCommunautéeuropéennedel'énergieatomique(JOL43du15.2.1983,
p.1),telquemodifiéparlerèglement(CE,Euratom)n°1700/2003du22septembre2003
(JOL243du27.9.2003,p.1),cedossierestouvertaupublic.Lecaséchéant,lesdocuments
classifiésprésentsdanscedossierontétédéclassifiésconformément àl'article5dudit
règlement.
InaccordancewithCouncilRegulation(EEC,Euratom)No354/83of1February1983
concerningtheopeningtothepublicofthehistoricalarchivesoftheEuropeanEconomic
CommunityandtheEuropeanAtomicEnergyCommunity(OJL43,15.2.1983,p.1),as
amendedbyRegulation(EC,Euratom)No1700/2003of22September2003(OJL243,
27.9.2003,p.1),thisfileisopentothepublic.Wherenecessary,classifieddocumentsinthis
filehavebeendeclassified inconformitywithArticle5oftheaforementioned regulation.
InÜbereinstimmung mitderVerordnung(EWG,Euratom)Nr.354/83desRatesvom1.
Februar1983überdieFreigabederhistorischen ArchivederEuropäischen
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft undderEuropäischen Atomgemeinschaft (ABI.L43vom15.2.1983,
S.1),geändertdurchdieVerordnung(EG,Euratom)Nr.1700/2003vom22.September2003
(ABI.L243vom27.9.2003,S.1),istdieseDateiderÖffentlichkeitzugänglich.Soweit
erforderlich,wurdendieVerschlusssachen indieserDateiinÜbereinstimmung mitArtikel5
dergenanntenVerordnungfreigegeben.

COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(73 )1311 final
Brussels ,25July 1973
PROPOSAL FOR ACOUNCIL DECISION
authorizing theFederal Republic ofGermany toincrease theamount
ofthegeneral quota currently inforce forimports ofcertain
textile products other than cotton from certain third countries
(countries onlist B)
(submitted totheCouncil bytheCommission )
CCM73 )1311 final

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
InaccordancewithArtiele1oftheCouncilDecisionof19December1972
layingdowncertaintransitional measuresfortheprogressivestandardi­
zationoftheimporttermsofMemberStatesasregardsthirdcountries,
theGermanGovernmentimformedtheCommissionon22June1973thatit
proposedtoincreasecertainquotasandtoliberalizseimportsofcertain
productsaspartofthefightagainstinflationinGermany.
AttherequestoftheCommissionconsultations concerningthesemeasures
wereheldon4»5»31and13July.
Theproposedmeasuresincludeadefactoliberalization ofcertaintextiles
productsotherthan,cotton,coveredbyabout100statisticalitemsin
thecustomstarrifoftheFederalRepublicofGermanyandfallingwithin
headingsNos51.Q4,53.07,53.10,.53.lit56.07and61.02oftheCCT.The
•'.•T».... '. •L).
productsiiquestionmaycurrentlybeimportedfromlistBoountriesinto
theFederalRepublicofGennanyuptoageneralquotaofIM20million.
Attheconsultations referredtoabove,theGermandelegationclarifiedits
ii:positionontheproposedmeasuresbyspecifying :
–thatasinothercasesthesewereeconomicmeasures,takeninexceptional
oircumstanoes inordertokeeppricesdowntyincreasingimportation
facilities ;
-thatthegoodswereimportedmainlyfromAsiancountriesatlowprices,
.sothatthedesireddownwardpressureinprioeswouldindeedbestrong;
-thattheresultingincreaseinimportswouldnotcreatedifficultiesfor
theotherMemberStatessincetherelevantgoodswouldmostcertainlybe
absorbedbytheGermanmarket;
-thattheproposedliberalization wasadefaotoliberalization whioh
wouldconsequently notinstriottermsalterthelawgove'Wiingimportations .

Therepresentative oftheCommissionstatedthattheliberalization in
questionseemedunacceptable tohimforthefollowingreasons;
–therelevantproductsareatthemomentalmostallsubjectedtorestrict
insevenorsixoustomszonesoftheCommunity(l).Theirliberalization
byoneMemberStatewouldthuscreateabarriertothe,establishment
ofcommonimportterms;.. .
–thesearesensitiveproductsimportedmainlyfromhighlycompetitive
Asianoountries(Japan,Korea,Taiwan).Theirliberalization would
haverepercussions bothonthediscussionsgoingonwithinGA.TTwith
aviewtofindingageneralarrangement ontextileproduotsandon
bilateralnegotiations tobeopenedbytheCommunitywithitsprinoipal
suppliers.IfoneMemberStateannouncedsuchaliberalization ata
timewhenthewholequestionofworldtradeintextileswasbeing
examinedatmultilateral level,theCommission'spositionwouldbomade
moredifficultsincethirdcountrieswouldbegiVentheimpressionthat
theattitudesoftheMemberStateslackedcoordination .Moreover,in
thecontextofbilateralnegotiations ,therelevantproductswillprobabl ;
beconsideredsensitiveproductsforwhichsupplierthirdoountrieswill
beaskedtoacceptvoluntaryrestraint..
Attheconsultativemeetings,severaldelegations (Benelux,Franoe,Italy)
weregenerallyreluctanttoacceptthisliberalization andindicatedthat
theysharedtheCommission'sopinion.
Despiteattemptstoreachacompromisesolution,noagreementwas
reached,theGermandelegationbeingunabletoaoceptthecompromises
proposed.
(l)Onlywoolfibresputoutforretailsalearesubjecttoquotasin
Germanyonly.Theirliberalization wasaoceptedunanimously.

3
AccordinglytheCommissionbelieves,onthebasisofthefactorswhich
itsetoutattheconsultative meetingstthat:
-theproduotsinquestionshouldnotbeliberalized ;
-Germanyshouldbeenabledtoincreaseitsimportsbyraisingthe
quotacurrentlyinforcefromHI20milliontoIM40million.
TheCommissionthereforeproposesthattheCounciladoptthedecision
setoutintheAnnexhereto.

PROPOSALFORACOUNCILDECISION
authorizingtheFederalRepublicofGermanytoincreasethe
amountofthegeneralquotacurrentlyinforoeforimports
ofcertaintextileproduotsotherthancottonformcertain
thirdcountries(countriesonlistB)
THECOUNCILOFTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishing theEuropean .EconomioCommunity
andinparticularArtiole113thereof;
HavingregardtotheCouncilDecisionof19December1972(l)laying
downcertaintransitional measuresfortheprogressivestandardization
oftheimporttermsofMemberStatesasregardsthirdcountries,dandin
particularArticle3thereof;
I
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission ;
WhereasinaccordancewithArticle1oftheCouncilDecisioncitedabove
theGermanGovernmenthasinformedtheCommission andtheotherMember
Statesthatitproposestoliberalize,aspartofitsfightagainst
inflation,theimportationofcertaintextilesproduotswhiohare
currentlysubjecttorestrictions underageneralquotaofIM20million
asregardscountriesonlistB;
Whereastheproduotsinquestionaresensitiveproducts,subjectto
restrictions inmostMemberStatesoftheCommunity;
Whereasinternational tradeintextileproductsisfacedwithparticular
problems,currentlybeingexaminedatmultilateral levelwithaviowto
reachingageneraltextilesagreement;
(l)OtfNoL299,31December1972

w2-
Whereas,therefor?,thepositiontobeadoptedbytheCommunitybothin
multilatered negotiations andinbilateralnegotiations whichthe
Communitymayopeninthefuturewithitsmainsuppliersinaccordance
withthegeneraltextilesagreementshouldnotbeprejudicedinanyway;
HASADOFrEDTHISDECISION
SoleArticle
\
TheFederalRepublicofGermanyisauthorizedtoincreasefromHI20million
toHI40milliontheamountofthegeneralquotaforcertaintextile
productsotherthancottoncurrentlyinforceforimportsfromcountries
onlistB.
Thisauthorization shallapplyuntil31December1973.
ThisDecisionisaddressedtotheFederalRepublio/ofGermany.
DoneatBrussels FortheCouncil
TheProsident