§ 16. Mr. Oramasked the President of the Board of Trade what effect British membership of the European Economic Community will have upon the country's freedom to make trade agreements with 207W East European countries; and to what extent the British application for membership is hampering current negotiations of such trade agreements.
§ Mr. ErrollMember states of the European Economic Community have undertaken to harmonise their commercial policies towards third countries during the transitional period and, from then onward, to pursue a common policy. We expect that by then individual Member States' trade arrangements with East European countries will have been merged in Community arrangements. Britain's application is not hampering current trade negotiations.