“Dreary” News From Brussels

Press, Volume CI, Issue 30005, 14 December 1962, Page 13

“Dreary” News From Brussels

(Special Crspdt. N.Z.P.A.) LONDON, Dec. 13. “Dreary news” is how “The Times” describes the news from Brussels on the latest ministerial discussions over the British entry to the Common Market. It coincided with the rising comment in London that it would not be a catastrophy if Britain does not become a member, and with a gallup poll showing that public opinion has rapidly hardened against the Common Market since the Conservative Party conference in October, plus a further slump in electoral support for the Conservatives. The percentage of people now for Britain joining the Common Market is 29 com-

pared with 41 in October. The percentage against is 37 compared with 28 and 34 undecided (31). Thus, those who are now against Britain joining or are undecided by far outweigh those who are for it. In the meantime 42 per c ut. of people think Labour will win the next election and only 29 per cent believe the Conservatives will. A phase has been reached where at least one pro-mar-ket Conservative member of Parliament has admitted privately that he thinks the best chance the Conservatives have of winning the next General Election is for Britain not to join the Common Market. Whatever else the present situation may reflect it is a very far cry from the whoops of Conservative joy at Llandundno a few weeks ago. The news from Brussels is of continuing disagreements

over the transitional arrangements for British agriculture. A committee of agriculture ministers and senior experts with Dr. Sicco Manshold, vice-president of the E.E.C. Commission, as chairman, has been appointed. Its job is to examine in minute detail, commodity by commodity, the potential economic effects of conflicting proposals which have been put forward by the British, on one side, and the Six, on the other side. At least that is what Dr. Joseph Luns, the Dutch Foreign Minister and the present chairman of negotiations said its job would be. But the French immediately contradicted him. They said the committee would only be permitted to study the effects of the demands of the Six on transitional arrangements (which include the immediate end of deficiency payments to British farmers) and would not be allowed to talk about British counter proposals.

Dr. Luns snapped back with the reply that the committee would indeed discuss both sets of proposals today and tomorrow and report to the ministerial meeting on December 19. it has been said that as Mr Mansholl, chairman of the committee, supports the French attitude the meeting will begin with a ready-made dispute. Forecasts are that there will be no final report on these differences until the ministerial meeting on January 14. It is not the only disagreement achieved this week. Another was over the entry to the Common Market of E.F.T.A. members. The Six have indicated that Denmark and Norway may get membership quickly after Britain joins but that Sweden, Switzerland, Austria and Portugal may have to wait longer. Britain still sticks to her pledge that she will wait for all to join together.