39. Editorial Note
The Intergovernmental Committee on the Establishment of a Free Trade Area met in Paris November 13–14 to continue its deliberations from July. Telegrams reporting on these discussions from USRO in Paris are in Department of State, Central Files, 840.00/11–1458. In Polto 1319, November 14, Ambassador Burgess characterized the tone of the meetings as “icy and unpleasant.” (ibid.)
On November 14, French Minister of Information Soustelle announced to the press that “it was not possible to form a free trade union area as had been wished by the British, that is to say by having free trade between the six countries of the Common Market and the eleven other countries of the OEEC, without a common external tariff and without harmonization in the economic and social spheres.” Apparently no notice was given to the other members of the OEEC before the announcement was made. The text of Soustelle’s announcement is in L’Année Politique, 1958, page 482.
On November 17, Maudling told Parliament that, in light of the Soustelle statement, he was postponing the CIG meeting scheduled later that week and indicated that the British Government was entering into consultations with all governments concerned in an effort to clarify the situation. Maudling’s presentation, as well as the response in Parliament to it, are summarized in telegram 2713 from London, November 18. (Department of State, Central Files, 440.002/11–1858)