COMMONWEALTH FEARS ON E.E.C.

Press, Volume C, Issue 29620, 16 September 1961, Page 11

COMMONWEALTH FEARS ON E.E.C.

Blunt Declaration At Ministers’ Talks (N.Z.PA.-Reuter—Copyright) • ACCRA, September 15. Commonwealth Finance Ministers have produced a shock for Britain by uniting in a declaration of “grave apprehension and concern” at the result of her bid to join the European Common Market. In their bluntest expression of anxiety since Britain first proposed to link with the “Six,” the Ministers last night said that most Commonwealth countries questioned whether Britain could possibly get an agreement adequately protecting the Commonwealth.

The Ministers’ views were contained in a communique issued at the end of their three-day conference. The communique said the Commonwealth felt that Britain’s membership of the Common Market might weaken her relationship with them.

Sources said the communique provided a startling curtain-raiser for Britain’s talks with the “Six’* next month.

The communique said it was generally agreed that any impairment of Commonwealth interests would damage some or all Commonwealth countries and could have adverse effects on particular industries and areas. “Several representatives stressed the danger that if the United Kingdom succeeded in negotiating special benefits in the European Economic Community for only certain Commonwealth countries, the result could be damaging to Commonwealth solidarity,” it said.

"Certain countries pointed out that major changes in present Commonwealth trading arrangements would inevitably force realignment of their trading patterns and

could lead to emergence of further trading blocs," it said. Apart from the Common Market issue, the communique said representatives of Commonwealth countries heavily dependent on exports stressed the urgent need to reverse the downward drift of prices of their exports.

“It was felt a responsibility lay on the rhore highly industrialised countries of the world to respond sympathetically to constructive proposals for stabilising commodity prices at reasonable levels," the communique said In the discussion on general Commonwealth development, "it was urged that funds should be made available to developing countries on terms which were within their capacity to meet.”