WARNING TO SIX

Press, Volume C, Issue 29690, 7 December 1961, Page 17

WARNING TO SIX

Failures To Agree (N .Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) BRUSSELS, Dec. 6. The agricultural committee of the Common Market “Parliament” last night warned against any backward movement in the economic integration of the Six. This unprecedented statement came after meetings of the Ministerial Councils of the Common Market and Euratom —(the atomic energy pool of the Six)—in which delegates failed to reach agreement on almost every point. The committee said in a statement that it had been seriously perturbed by the news about the work of the Ministerial Council and other groups. It emphasised that “any decision which could be considered as a backward movement or a checkmate of the community idea is unacceptable." Agreement on a common agricultural policy by the Six is hampered by West Germany’s reluctance to lift her farming protectionism in the face of cheap agricultural imports, especially from France. In Paris, the French Minister of Agriculture, Mr Pisani, said the Common Market could not survive if France and West Germany failed to settle their differences over farm policy. “I am convinced that the entire European structure we have achieved so far will collapse if we do not succeed in co-ordinating our agriculture after having united our industries.” he said. The British Foreign Secretary (Lord Home) has challenged anyone to say Britain did not put Commonwealth interests right at the forefront of the Common Market negotiations at Brussels. Speaking in a House of Lords debate on Commonwealth consultation, he referred to the speech by the Lord Privy Seal (Mr Heath) in Paris on October 10 outlining Britain’s opening position in the negotiations. Lord Home said: “I defy anybody who reads the speech to sustain the charge that we did not put the Commonwealth interests right at the forefront in Brussels.” Dealing with complaints that the text of Mr Heath’s speech was not made available to other Commonwealth countries. Lord Home asked: “How can you carry on a conference if every document is to be public property?”