ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(79)219
Vol.1979/0092

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(79)219final
Brussels.26April1979
Recommendation fora
COUNCILDECISION
concerningtheamendmentofthetariffconcessionfor
manioc
#-3Β!-'·:.λΝ
S1-1.ci-
Y.
C0M(79)219final

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
1.DuringtheKennedyRoundnegotiations underGATTin1967,theCommunity
boundthe67.dutyonimportsofmaniocundertariffheading07.06A,sothat
theceilingforthelevyapplicable pursuanttoCommunityruleswasatthe
leveloftheconsolidated rate*
AlthoughtheKingdomofThailandisnotamemberofGATTitbenefits
fromthisbindingbyvirtueofthemost-favoured-nationclause®
2mSincethisbinding,importsofmaniochaveincreasedrapidly.In1967
importsfromallcountries amountedto672000tandthosefromThailandto
375000t.
In1977importsreachedthelevelof3801000tfromnon-member countries
asawhole,ofwhich3640000tcamefromThailand*
3.Sincethisdevelopment hashadconsequences fortheproperfunctioning "
ofthecommonorganization ofthemarketincerealsandderivedproducts
(pigmeat,etc.),theCommission hasduringthelasttwoyearsregularly
pointedouttotheThaiauthorities thatafurtherincreasemightforcethe
Communitytotakemeasurestolimittheseimports#
A
4.AlthoughtheThaiGovernment didtakesomemeasuresin1978tolimit
production andthereforetheamountsavailableforexport,importsfrom
Thailandamountedin1978totherecordfigureof5553000t,comparedwith
totalimportsof5840000t«

5,Sincetheincreaseinimportswaslikelytoincreasethedifficulties
ontheinternalmarket,theCommissiontooktheinitiativeinraisingthese^
problemswiththeThaiauthorities *Thepurposeofthediscussions wasto
obtainalimitationofimportsatreasonablelevelsacceptabletoboth
sides.Thisinitiative washelpedbythefactthattheThaiGovernmenthad
inthemeantimetakenmeasuresenablingittosuperviseandcontrolexports
sothatitwasinapositiontocomplywithanyagreementsconcludedwith
importingcountries,
6,InthecourseofexploratorycontactswiththeThaiGovernment,
Mr,Gundelach,Vice-President,emphasizedtheimportanceandtheurgencyof
reducingCommunityimportssubstantially withinareasonableperiod,and
theThaiGovernmentagreedtolimitthevolumeofexportsfor1979tothat
of1978andtostartnegotiations withtheCommunitywithaviewtoensuring
agradualreductioninexportstotheEECfrom1980onwards(seedocumentin
AnnexBdescribingtheresultsofthesecontracts).Thiswasagreedonthe
understanding thatthecustomsdutyof6%wouldbeapplicabletothe
restrictedquantities.
TheCommissionwillforwardtotheCouncilassoonaspossibleaproposal
ondirectivesfornegotiating suchanagreement,
7,ToavoidplacingThailandinalessfavourablepositionthanother
suppliers,thetariffconcessionwhichatpresentexistsunderGATTneedsto
*
beamended,replacingitbybindingatthesame6%ratebutwithinthelimits
ofatariffquotathevolumeofwhichcorrespondstoCommunityimportsfrom
thecontractingpartiestoGATT,
8,Consequently,theCommissionrecommendsthat,underArticle113(3)ofthe
Treaty,theCouncilauthorizeittoconductthenegotiations providedforin
ArticleXXVIII(1)oftheGeneralAgreementwithaviewtoamendingthecon­
cessiongrantedwithregardtomanioc.TheArticle113Committeewillassist
theCommissioninthenegotiations.
TheCommissionherebyforwardstotheCouncilthedraftDecisioncontained
inAnnexA,

ANFig&A
RECOMMENDATION FORACOUNCILDECISION
concerningtheamendment -ofthetariffconcessionformanioc
8SSSS8S8SSSSSSSSSSS5SSSSS58SS8SS3S383S83SS33
THECOUNCILOFTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishing theEuropeanEconomicCommunityand
inparticularArticle113thereof,
Havingregardtotherecommendation fromtheCommission,
Whereas,duringtheKennedyRoundtariffnegotiations concludedin1967within
theframeworkofGATT,theCommunityboundacustomsdutyof6%onmanioc,
arrowroot,salep,Jerusalemartichokes,sweetpotatoesandothersimilarroots
andtuberswithhighstarchorinulincontent,freshordried,wholeorsliced
sagopith(h'eadingNo07*06AoftheCommonCustomsTariff),andwhereassuch
bindingisembodiedintheEuropeanEconomicCommunitylist(ListLXXII-
EEC)annexedtotheGeneralAgreementonTariffsandTrade;
Whereastheseconcessions shouldbeamended;
Whereas,tothisendtariffnegotiations orconsultations mustbeenteredinto,
pursuanttoArticleXXVIIIoftheGeneralAgreement,withthecontracting
partiestoGATTwhichhaverightsinrespectoftheseconcessions,
HASDECIDEDASFOLLOWS:
*
SoleArticle
TheCommissionisherebyauthorised,pursuanttoArticleXXVIIIoftheGeneral
Agreement,toopentariffnegotiations orconsultations withthecontracting
partiesholdingrights,forthepurposeofamendingthetariffconcessionin
respectofthe6%dutyon"manioc,arrowroot,salepandothersimilarroots
andtuberswithhighstarchcontent,excludingsweetpotatoes"(headingNo
07.06AoftheCommonCustomsTariff).

DRAFT NOTIFICATION
Sir-
with reference tomyprevious communication dated 19September 1978 on
the Community 'swish toinvoke theprovisions ofparagraph 5ofArticle
XXVIII ofthe General Agreement ,Ihave the honour ofrequesting you to
inform the Contracting Parties that the European Economic Community wishes
toconduct negotiations with aview tocorrecting oramending aconcession
contained inthe European Economic Community 'slist .
TheAnnexes hereto give the wording andthe rate ofbound duty forthe
concession tobenegotiated andstatistics onCommunity imports ofthe
products concerned .
Formal ending
Signature *

ANNEXI
TariffHeading Description Boundrate
07.06 Manioc,arrowroot,salep,Jerusalemartichokes,
sweetpotatoesandothersimilarrootsand
tuberswithhighstarchorinulincontent,fresh
ordried,wholeorsliced;sagopith:
A*Manioc,arrowroot,salepandothersimilar
rootsandtuberswithhighstarchcontent,
excludingsweetpotatoes 6X

ANNEX II
Statistics ofimports ofproducts falling within heading 07.06 A
from theprincipal non-Community supplier country and/ordirect
beneficiaries ofconcessions
Average fortheyears 1975 -1976 -1977
Tonnes 21000
Extra-EEC
ofwhich Thailand3002 438 355 475
2766 179 324 501
Members of6ATT 232 105 30398
Principal 6ATT suppliers
Indonesia 169 415 25399
Direct GATT beneficiary
Brazi l 3502 856

ANNEXE B
AGREED MINUTES
1.H.E. NamPhoonwathu ,TheMinister ofCommerce ofThailand ,and
Mr.Finn 0.Gundelach ,Vice-President oftheCommission oftheEuropean
Communities ,metinBangkok on21and22March 1979 todiscuss ,inthe
spirit ofASEAN -EECcooperation ,theproblems arising from Thai exports
oftapioca products totheCommunity .
2.Inthelight ofCommunity market developments »theVice-President
stressed theurgent need ofachieving ahalt inthegrowth oftapioca imports
falling under Common Customs Tariff Heading No.0706A from Thailand into the
Community andofachieving over areasonable period oftime substantial •
reductions ofthese imports .These goals should beattained through agreement
between Thailand andtheCommunity .
3.TheMinister stated that anyreduction oftapioca exports without suitable
alternatives would create achain ofadverse effects onsocio -politico -economic
development andstability notonly ofThailand butoftheASEAN region .At
thesame time ,herecognized theinternal problems oftheCommunity and ,
therefore ,agreed that tapioca shipments from Thailand totheCommunity in
1979 would notexceed thetotal quantity shipped in1978 andfurther stated
hiswillingness tonegotiate measures ,inaspirit ofcooperation ,with a
view toensuring agradual reduction ofthequantity exported totheCommunity .
4.The Vice-President noted that theGovernment ofThailand has taken measures -
tocontain thecultivation andproduction oftapioca products aswell as
providing possibilities forstabilizing theexports ofthese products
particularly through thepromulgation oftheRoyal Decree empowering the
Minister ofCommerce toimpose desired export quotas ,premiums ,andother
restrictive measures .
TheMinister emphasized that thi3 Decree waspromulgated bythe
Government ofThailan »asademonstration ofitsgood faith towards arriving
atmutually acceptable solutions totheCommunity 'sproblems .

5.TheVice-President further noted thewillingness oftheGovernment of
Thailand totake ,infull cooperation with theCommunity ,appropriate
measures forthediversification oftapioca production towards other crops .
Both sides agreed that such measures should diminish thedependence of
Thailand ontapioca exports totheCommunity .
They should however notbeimplemented insuch awayastoadversely
affect Thailand 'sbalance ofpayments ,ortohamper theeconomic andsocial
development andpolitical stability ofThailand . •
TheMinister acknowledged that theCommunity isalready making some
contribution towards thegoal ofdiversification and isprepared ,within
themeans atitsdisposal ,tomake substantially larger contributions on
thebasis ofprojects tobesubmitted bytheGovernment ofThailand .
6.TheVice-President noted that theThai Government might consider the
introduction ofalevy ontapioca exports which should Result insome
increase inexport prices ,andthat theproceeds from such alevy could be
used forcrop diversification and ,where necessary ,forfinancing thecosts
ofabsorbing tapioca inexcess ofrequirement ,soastostabilize agricultural
incomes .
7.The Vice-President informed the Minister ofthe Commission 'sintention
topropose totheCouncil oftheEuropean Communities theengagement of
theprocedures necessary under Article XXVIII oftheGATT forthedeconsolidatior
ofthebound rate ofduty ontapioca .
TheVice-President particularly stressed that such action oranyother
actions directed towards imports oftapioca would notbetaken with the
intention ofincreasing Community 'sprotection against Thailand butshould
only beseen asmeasures toprevent other suppliers undermining specific
arrangements with Thailand .

8.Itwasdecided toestablish ajoint working group toexamine and
recommend themodalities toensure thesatisfactory implementation ofthe
measures envisaged .
9.The Minister ofCommerce ofThailand and the Vice-President will meet
before theendofNovember 1979 toreach agreement onthearrangement tobe
implemented asfrom thebeginning of1988 andthere after ,onthebasis of
areport ofthejoint working group .