850.33/10–3154: Telegram
No. 229
The Deputy United States Representative
to the European Coal and Steel Community (Tomlinson) to
the Department of State1
confidential
Luxembourg, October 31, 1954—2
a.m.
40. From Bruce Mission. Reference your questions in Edcol 36.2
- 1.
- UK association scheme is conceived as unique for UK. Close association or semi-participation of UK is considered necessary for political acceptance on continent of European federation and also because UK is producing and exporting country sharing markets and sources of supply. No other countries would be admitted to council of association.
- 2.
- Proposal to assure minimum deliveries of UK coal to CSC in periods of shortage and overproduction has been dropped. Spierenburg still believes such arrangements to bring about stability of markets are desirable but has never suggested that such arrangements should be exclusive for United Kingdom. He admits to not having any precise ideas and recognizes necessity to work out such ideas in conformity with GATT.
- 3.
- High Authority representatives believe reluctance of UK to lower tariff on steel is primarily due to reluctance to generalize concession to other areas. At one time UK representatives suggested possibility of asking GATT for waiver to permit UK and CSC to harmonize tariffs on basis of proposed UK–CSC association. High Authority representatives said they were not interested because this would mean that CSC countries would have to increase their tariffs for other countries while lowering them for UK.
- 4.
- Monnet does not believe it appropriate for High Authority to make any proposals in connection with Western European union at least until governments have completed ratification of Paris agreements on WEU and Saar. Also High Authority representatives are nervous about intentions of French government. See immediate preceding cable.3
Tomlinson
- Repeated to London, Paris, Bonn, Rome, The Hague, and Brussels.↩
- Document 227.↩
- Supra.↩