MR RIPPOVS VISIT Mr Marshall Has Persuading Job

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32395, 7 September 1970, Page 1

MR RIPPOVS VISIT Mr Marshall Has Persuading Job

(From GARJiY ARTHUR?

LONDON, September 6.

New Zealand may now have lost some of the valuable ground gained by the Minister of Overseas Trade (Mr Marshall) in his recent intensive talks with Ministers of the new British Government about New Zealand’s special case in Britain’s E.E.G. negotiations, i

Statements made by Mr Geoffrey Rippon, the new Minister for Europe, in an exclusive interview with me indicate that Mr Marshall may have to use all of his renowned persuasive powers on Mr Rippon when he visits New Zealand later this month.

When Mr Marshall left London in July he had extracted comforting assurances from Mr Barber, Mi Rippon’s predecessor, who has since replaced the late Mr lain McLeod as Chancellor of the Exchequer and from the Prime Minister (Mr Heath).

But Mr Rippon’s written replies to the questions put to him show that the New Zealand case may not loom quite so large in his eyes. Clues to Mr Rippon’s attitudes are to be found not so much in what he said as in what he carefully omitted to say.

One question was: “Do you consider that New Zealand must have a continuing special arrangement for access to Britain or an enlarged E.E.C. for its butter, cheese and lamb?"

In his reply, Mr Rippon avoided saying whether he believed that New Zealand must have a continuing arrangement or not. “The special problems of New Zealand are one of the main questions we wish to see covered in the negotiations,” he said. “We recognise that the special position of New Zealand rests on its extreme dependence on the British market for her exports of butter, cheese and lamb, and we have made this clear to the Six.” Vital Hole But he did say that he was well aware of the vital role which these products played in the New Zealand economy, adding that this was one of the points which Mr Barber had made clear to the Six at the meeting in Brussels on July 21. Asked at what stage of the

negotiations he would like to introduce the question of New Zealand's difficulties, Mr Rippon said that the opening of detailed discussions was clearly something that depended not on the British Government only, but, on the governments of the Six also. “But the New Zealand problem,” he added, “is one of the basic issues for the negotiations, and we would therefore hope to open up discussion of this problem at a reasonably early stage.” Mr Rippon was asked which of the three possible solutions named by Mr Marshall he favoured—associate membership for New Zealand of the E.E.C., a special protocol of the Morocco type, or a trade agreement as provided by the Treaty of Rome. Not Prejudging “I would emphasise,” he [said, “that this is something ■which will depend in large measure on the views of the present community members as well as upon ours ind 1 do not think it would be in our interests or yours to prejudge the formal nature of any arrangements that might be agreed." Mr Rippon said it was “most certainly” his intention to ensure that New Zealand's extreme dependence on the British market for butter, cheese and lamb would be fully taken into account when Britain's objectives were established for the Common Market entry negotiations, confirming the statement made along those lines after Mr Marshall’s meeting with [Mr Barber in July. The new “Mr Europe" has frequently said that the politiIcal decision to enter he E.E.C. should be reached first, and the detailed negotiatio ~ should follow—a course which I would not be contemplated [ with much warmth in WelI lington. Reply Reassuring But when 1 asked Mr Rippon if this was still his view, his reply was reassuring. “1 most certainly hope," he said, “that the negotiations lean be concluded as quickly as possible, and that they will i be confined to the really important issues. But there are a number of issues which we wish to see covered in the negotiations, and the problem of New Zealand is one of these.”