E.E.C. accord closer

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33516, 23 April 1974, Page 15

E.E.C. accord closer

(N Z.P A -Reuter—Copyright) BONN, April 22.

The nine members of the European Economic Community have narrowed their differences on the Community’s primary foreign policy problem of consultations with the United States.

I This was clearly the main [achievement of the weekend ! of informal talks by E.E.C. Foreign Ministers at Schloss Gymnich, an 18th century country-house north of Bonn. At the end of two days of discussions in the relaxed seclusion of Gymnich, the ministers were in full accord that the potentially-explosive issue that had split France from her eight partners three weeks ago, in Luxemburg, had been defused.

■ Several of the ministers, [clearly pleased at the outcome of the session, broke their self-imposed vow of silence to explain the highlights of the weekend to reporters.

Earlier they had decided that there would be no communiques or press statements concerning the session. and no final news conference.

In turn, Mr Michel Jobert, of France, and his British and West German colleagues, Mr James Callaghan and Mr Walter Scheel, explained that the E.E.C.’s approach to consultations would be pragmatic and based on a case-by-case assessment of individual issues, avoiding any rigid formulas.

The problem of consultations between the E.E.C. and the United States reached a head last month when President Nixon accused the nine E.E.C. members of presenting the United States with a fait accompli, by agreeing to work for a bilateral E.E.C.-Arab dialogue without consulting the Americans beforehand. The flexible line adopted by the E.E.C. Foreign Ministers yesterday is a compromise between the more structured procedures sought by eight of the members, particularly by Britain and West Germany, and the strong preservations of Mr Jobert to any consolations with the Americans before the Community itself had adopted final decisions.

But it was clear that, although the ministers had made progress, the issue is still some way from being 'finally settled.