E.E.C. CRISIS PREDICTED

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31539, 29 November 1967, Page 17

E.E.C. CRISIS PREDICTED

Sharp Reaction To de Gaulle (N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) PARIS, November 28. President de Gaulle’s emphatic “No” to Britain on negotiations for Common Market entry made at his news conference yesterday has given rise to predictions in Brussels of a new crisis in the European community. Market officials spoke privately of the likelihood of a boycott of the community’s activities by the Benelux countries and Italy.

Violent criticism of ■ General de Gaulle’s attitude is expected in West Germany and other Market countries. But he is believed in Paris to have acted on the assumption that none of France’s partners would risk the future of the community for the sake of British membership. In France the President’s comments at his press conference yesterday startled some of his most faithful supporters and brought a roar of protest from the opposition. The Conservative Paris daily “Le Figaro” reported that General de Gaulle told the West German Chancellor, Dr Kurt Kiesinger, last January that France would simply leave the Common Market if there were a serious attempt to admit Britain at this stage. The newspaper sharply criticised the President’s statement that there was nothing to negotiate about if Britain accepts the Rome Treaty. Details of its application and a transition period obviously required discussion and definition, he said. ‘Unity In Peril’ The Left-wing “Combat” said General de Gaulle had attacked with unprecedented brutality. “President De Gaulle drew a caricature of himself yesterday. He shaded in no nuances, was uninhibited and showed a total disregard for the effects his statements could have,” the newspaper said. Mr Jean Lecanuet, who heads the Democratic Centre Party, said General de Gaulle “risked accentuating France’s isolation and putting European unity in peril.” French Government circles consider the General has now effectively barred Britain’s road into the Common Market without having to exercise a formal veto in its Ministerial Council. He is believed in Paris to have acted under strong pressure from influential leaders

■of French industry who, despite what the President said yesterday, are not eager to face the complete free trade competition due to operate within the Market from next July, even without the future competition British membership would involve. Meanwhile, Britain claimed that President de Gaulle has still not vetoed its move to join the Common Market, and challenged his ability to speak for all six Market countries on the issue. A terse announcement from the British Foreign Office said a reply to Britain’s application had to come from the community as a whole and Britain expected such a reply. In Rome, Italian Foreign Ministry officials expressed similar views and said Italy would work out a common position with other supporters of British membership. Aid From Bonn In Bonn, a spokesman of the Christian Democrats, the main Government coaltition party, said West Germany would continue to do everything in its power to help Britain enter the Common Market on the basis of the Treaty of Rome. In Strasbourg delegates to the European Parliament have widely condemned General de Gaulle’s refusal to open negotiations on Britain’s Common Market application as a new lone veto by France on British membership of Europe. The European parliamentarians, meeting on the first of a five-day session, declined to make any official comment, but they were expected to express their view in public when tile parliament opens a debate tomorrow on prospects for developing the European community. In private they roundly condemned the President’s statements on negotiations with Britain as a unilateral stand on a question that concerned the Common Market as a whole.

Particularly critical were the Dutch group of delegates, who warned that the French position, as expressed by the President, could soon lead to an extremely, difficult situation within the European community.