§ Mr. BatisteTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what action he is taking to assist British companies trading with Israel to ensure that United Kingdom companies are now placed on the same basis as United States companies in respect of the lifting of the secondary and tertiary boycotts by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
§ Mr. NeedhamSaudi Arabia and Kuwait, as members of the Gulf Co-operation Council, are obliged by the EC/GCC co-operation agreement, 1988, to give most-favoured nation treatment to EC member states. This means that any concessions on the Arab boycott granted to United States companies by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or other members of the GCC must be extended to exports form the United Kingdom and other EC member states.
Member countries of the GCC also have a treaty obligation not to discriminate between EC member states.
We take advantage of bilateral contacts with GCC countries to point out that we object to the boycott as an unwelcome trade barrier and to remind them of their obligations not to discriminate against or between EC member states.