HC Deb 24 May 1973 vol 857 cc156-9W
Mr. Deakins

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what United Kingdom trade agreements were in the list submitted to the EEC Commission for authority for their extension; and which of these Her Majesty's Government are prepared to allow the EEC to take over by the end of the transitional period.

Sir G. Howe

The trade agreements submitted to the EEC Commission are listed below. These agreements, in common with other member States' bilateral trade agreements, are examined annually by the Community in accordance with EEC Council Decision 69/494 to ensure that they do not constitute an obstacle to the implementation of the common com-

Country Form of Agreement Signed
Albania Exchange of Notes on Commercial Relations 10th June 1925
Argentine Republic Agreement relating to Trade and Commerce 1st February 1936
Brazil (a) Exchange of Notes on Commercial Relations 10th August 1936
(b) Exchange of Notes regarding Regulation of Beef Imports into the United Kingdom (International Beef Conference. Argentine and Uruguay also signatories.) 15th January 1937
People's Republic of Bulgaria. Long Term Trade Agreement 27th April 1970
Federal Republic of Cameroon. Agreement on Commercial and Economic Co-operation with Protocol and Exchange of Letters. 29th June 1963
Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa). Agreement on Commercial and Economic Co-operation. 18th March 1970
Cuba (a) Commercial Agreement with Protocol of Signature and Exchange of Notes regarding Navigation. 19th February 1937
(b) Exchange of Notes modifying the agreement of 19th February 1937. 7th–17th October 1939
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. Long Term Trade Agreement (with Exchanges of Letters and Declaration). 27th June 1972
Haiti Exchange of Notes for the establishment of a Commercial "Modus Vivendi". 25th February 1928
Hungarian People's Republic. Long Term Economic and Trade Agreement (with Exchanges of Letters, Declaration and Co-operation Arrangement). 21st March 1972
Iceland Agreement relating to Trade and Commerce (with protocol). 19th May 1933
Morocco Commercial Agreement 9th January 1961
Mongolia Trade Agreement 21st March 1973
Nepal Exchange of Letters concerning reciprocal MFN treatment. 7th May 1965–4th November 1965
Norway Trade Agreement 15th December 1950
Paraguay Agreement on Trade and Payments, prolonged by exchanges of notes, the latest exchange prolonging the Agreement to 27th March 1976. 21st November 1955
Poland (a) Agreement on Trade and Commerce 27th February 1935
(b) Exchange of Notes amending the Polish Text of the 1935 Agreement. 22nd March 1937
(c) Long Term Economic and Trade Agreement 21st April 1971
Socialist Republic of Romania. Long Term Trade Agreement and Co-operation Agreement. 15th June 1972
Soviet Union Long Term Trade Agreement 3rd June 1969
Spain Trade and Payments Agreement. Extended by Exchanges of Notes ending with that of 19th–25th June 1952. 23rd June 1948
Tunisia Trade Agreement. Extended by a series of Exchanges of Notes ending with those of 26th January 1965. 17th January 1961
United Arab Republic (Egypt). (a) Exchange of Notes establishing a Commercial Modus Vivendi. Extended by Exchanges of Notes ending with those of 19th October 1952. 5th–7th June 1930 19th October 1952
(b) Agreement concerning Financial and Commercial Relations and British Property in Egypt (with exchange of notes) (Annex D to the Agreement continues in force the Provisional Commercial Agreement of 5th–7th June 1930). 28th February 1959

mercial policy. The transitional period referred to in the decision was the transitional period of the original six member States and therefore is not applicable to the United Kingdom. The future of individual trade agreements will depend on a number of considerations including the development of the Community's relations with the country concerned within the framework of the common commercial policy.

Country Form of Agreement Signed
Uruguay (a) Agreement on Trade and Payments (with Protocol, Supplementary Agreements and Notes). 26th June 1935
(b) Exchange of Notes suspending Article 7 of Agreement of 1935. 30th August 1940
(c) Exchange of Notes regarding Regulation of Beef Imports into the United Kingdom (International Beef Conference, Brazil and Argentine also signatories.) 6th January 1939

Mr. Deakins

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the United Kingdom agreements on commercial and economic co-operation with third countries which require the prior approval of the EEC, and those which do not.

Sir G. Howe

The agreements with the following countries require the approval of the EEC for their renewal or extension either because they are commercial as well as economic co-operation agreements, or because they are co-operation agreements containing clauses which come within the framework of the common commercial policy of the EEC.

  • Cameroon.
  • Zaire.
  • Hungary.
  • Romania.
  • Czechoslovakia.
The co-operation agreement with Poland signed on 20th March 1973 contains no clauses which come within the common commercial policy as at present defined and did not therefore require the prior approval of the EEC.