European Free Trade Association (Hansard, 9 May 1972)

§ Mr. Rippon

My right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade and I attended the EFTA Ministerial Council Meeting in Geneva from 4th to 5th May. The following communiqué was issued at the end of the Meeting The EFTA Council and the Joint Council of EFTA and Finland met at ministerial level in Geneva on 4th and 5th May, 1972. Mr. Michael Noble, Minister for Trade of the United Kingdom was in the chair. In the EFTA Council, with the Finnish Minister taking part in a personal capacity, Ministers reviewed recent developments in European Integration. Ministers welcomed the successful conclusion of the negotiations of Denmark, Norway and the United Kingdom for membership of the Communities and the signature by those countries of the Accession Treaty in Brussels on 22nd January. 1972. All Ministers expressed their satisfaction that the first phase of the negotiations between the non-candidate EFTA countries and the Community had now been completed and that agreement in principle had been reached on a number of important constituent parts of the prospective special relations agreements. On the other hand Ministers noted with concern that a number of problems of crucial importance to the individual non-candidate countries remained unsolved. They stressed the importance of reaching balanced solutions which would be mutually satisfactory and safeguard the free trade already established between EFTA countries. The Ministers of the acceding countries stated that they would continue to bear fully 343W in mind the importance of these questions during their consultations with the Communities. As the agreements should come into force at the same time as the acceding countries enter the Communities, i.e., 1st January, 1973, sufficient time must be left for the necessary ratification procedures. For this reason, all Ministers underlined the importance of conclusion of the negotiations before the summer recess. Ministers reiterated their conviction, which had also been expressed by the Ministers of the Communities, that all new arrangements would be in conformity with the provisions of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Reviewing the international economic outlook. Ministers expressed their satisfaction at the efforts being made by Government and the international organisations concerned to contribute to the solution of the basic problems facing the world economy, including the international monetary problem. Ministers welcomed the initiatives which had been taken by the European Communities, Japan, and the United States in putting forward proposals for a new global trade negotiation in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade beginning in 1973. All the European Free Trade Association countries expressed their desire to participate in such a negotiation and to do everything possible to bring it to a successful conclusion. They believed that the success of such a General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade negotiation would be greatly to the benefit of the world at large and stressed the view of all European Free Trade Association Governments that particular consideration would have to be given to the interests of developing countries. Ministers reaffirmed their support for the efforts being made in the conference of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in Santiago De Chile, to improve the conditions of developing countries with regard to trade, financial and monetary matters. In the view of all EFTA Governments, the interests and needs of developing countries would have to be taken fully into account in all international negotiations. In welcoming the growth and broadening of East-West economic relations which had in general taken place in recent years, Ministers expressed the hope that these favourable trends would continue to develop along with the overall growth of trade of the European Free Trade Association countries. Ministers paid warm tribute to Sir John Coulson, K.C.M.G., on his retirement as Secretary-General. The service he had rendered to EFTA since 1965 had been of the greatest value and the association was deeply indebted to him. They expressed satisfaction that continuity in the direction of the Secretariat would be ensured as Sir John would be succeeded by Ambassador Bengt Rabaeus who had been his deputy since April, 1966, while Mr. Alfred Wacker would continue in his function as Deputy Secretary-General. 344W At the invitation of the Austrian Government, Ministers decided to meet again on 16th and 17th November, 1972, in Vienna.