COMMON MARKET TALKS END IN FAILURE

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30044, 31 January 1963, Page 11

COMMON MARKET TALKS END IN FAILURE

France Rejects West German Proposal (« BRUSSELS, January 30. Britain’s chief negotiator, Mr Edward Heath, will fly back to London today to report to Mr Macmillan oil the failure of Britain’s bid to join the Common Market. The 15-month-old negotiations collapsed last night after France refused to accept a West German compromise proposal aimed at saving the talks. France wanted the negotiations suspended but her five Common Market partners and Britain strongly resisted this. Ministers of the five friendly to Britain made no secret of their misgivings and fears of the far-reaching implications of the end of the talks yesterday.

Mr Heath’s firsthand report will assist Mr Macmillan in the talks he is due to have with the Italian Prime Minister (Dr. Fanfani) in Rome on Friday and Saturday. Italy proved to be a robust supporter of the British case for early entry into the Common Market.

The Italian Foreign Minister (Mr Attilio Piccioni) said in Brussels last night that the breakdown of negotiations would slow down the progress of European unification. Diplomatic observers said the kind of problems posed by the rupture of the negotiations that might be discussed by Mr Macmillan and Dr. Fanfani covered:— (1) The effects on the Western alliance. (2) The consequences for the Common Market itself and the relationships between the Six. (3 The future of the BritishAmerican proposal for the creation of a multilateral NA.T.O. nuclear force, an idea supported by Italy and West Germany but disliked by President de Gaulle. (4) The future development of relations between Britain and the five who favoured her early entry. Mr Heath and ministers of the five met soon after . the seven-power conference had petered out. The Belgian Foreign Minister (Mr Paul-Henri Spaak) later said yesterday’s developments should not “break our links—economic or polical—with Britain.” He promised new developments in the next 15 days but gave no hint what these would be. \ In spite of the severe jolt given by the negotiations’ failure, Mr Heath has made it clear that Britain is not going to turn her back on Europe. • , He told yesterday’s final session of the conference: "We are a part of Europe by geography, history, culture trade and civilisation. We shall continue to work with all our friends for the future strength and unity of this Continent.”

Domestic Impact Besides the international aspects of the conference's failure. Mr ’lacmillan, Mr Heath, and other Cabinet colleagues will also be teas »- 1.4 iu impact on the domestic, political and economic scene and on Commonwealth relations. Mr Heath lost no time last night in holding separate consultations with the diplomatic representatives in Brussels of the Commonwealth nations and Britain’s six partners in the European Free Trade Association. The safeguarding of their vital interests was a

Key lactor in mr neaui a negotiations with the Six. Mr Heath is expected to be accompanied on his return flight today by the Commonwealth and Colonial Secretary (Mr Sandys) and the Agriculture Minister (Mr Soames), who are members of his delegation. The French Foreign Minist • (Mr Couve de Murville) left Brussels by train for Paris last night and French sources said he would report today to the French Cabinet In Paris, the Socialist opjosition. last night tabled a notion asking the Senate to -efuse to discuss the Foreign Ministry budget until Mr Zouve de Murville explained the position taken by France in Brussels. A last-minute intervention by the United States State Department failed to save the

negotiations. A message was sent through President Kennedy’s envoy, Mr John Tuthill, expressing anxiety about the consequences of a breakdown.

Conference sources said that the West German delegation again put forward its compromise plan, but the French Foreign Minister had flatly rejected it Conference sources said the five were agreed on the West German proposal that the Common Market’s Executive Commission should be given three weeks to draw up a balance-sheet of the negotiations. This would then be submitted to the Six and Britain. After 10 days, negotiations would be resumed. A French spokesman said that Mr Oouve de Murville had rejected tfcie proposal because it meant the cxxi-

t.jfMWtinn of the negotiaUofi-s had been made a precondition instead of depending on the commission's findings. Mr Couve de Murville said the commission’s report should be submitted to the Six, and that a dedaton should then be taken whether the negotiations with Britain should go on, the sources said.

French Account

A French official later said: “We were not able to find a formula on the basis of which we could continue the negotiations.” The French spokesman said the situation was that after 15 months of negotiations it seemed "to us** Britain was not capable of entering the Common Market. Any time Britain was capable of doing so she could come in, he said. ,

The French spokesman said the negotiations were suspended but not broken oft. There was no political decision to exclude Britain

Many observers said the French Government would be held solely responsible for the collapse, which came as Britain and France’s five partners felt success . was near.

Turning Feint As delegates gloomily surveyed the wreck of the negotiations there was a. feeling a turning point had been reached—that sweeping policy reassessments could be expected..

Reuter’s Bruesete correspondent said long-term taipllcatione of the week’s events could take some time to appear. ’Hiere was a general agreement that the failure represented a severe reverse tor British policy.

The setback was the more severe because the British Government has made membership of the Common Market a cornerstone of its policy. Mr Macmillan, at the Commonwealth Prime Ministers* Conference in London last September, made it clear that the Government

regarded British membership of Europe as a matter of necessity, not preference. If Britain stayed out of the mainstream of European events, she would gradually lose her power to influence international affairs, he then said.