Office of the Historian

228. Telegram From the Mission to the European Office of the United Nations to the Department of State1

Geneva, February 18, 1964, 1840Z.

Tagg 1826. For Governor Herter from Hodges. Agric meeting convened on schedule today. WW opened meeting by drawing attention to Ministerial decisions on agric as terms of ref for the group’s work,2 then invited dels to table proposals on how this shd be carried out. EEC (Rabot) gave one-hour presentation Mansholt II.3 Nothing new provided but perhaps significant that he seemed place his presentation in the framework of sharing reflections which led community to choose support level of approach and was giving only initial thinking as to ground-rules that might be followed if support level were adopted as the negotiating procedure. Before inviting discussion on Community’s presentation, WW also emphasized that group shd consider Community proposal of focusing negots on level support only as working hypothesis. USDel supported this view and stated he had understood EEC was also putting forward their proposals on this basis; hence, no position either for or against the proposal need be implied by either the questions or answers that ensue. In the brief period remaining before adjournment, several dels then took up the line of questioning which will be continued at Wednesday’s sessions.4

Tubby
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, AGR 3 GATT. Limited Official Use. Repeated to Brussels for USEC. Passed to the White House. A notation on the source reads: “No reply necessary.”↩
  2. For text of the principles and procedures for conducting comprehensive trade negotiations adopted unanimously by the GATT Ministerial meeting of the Contracting Parties on May 21, 1963, see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1963, pp. 1126–1129.↩
  3. Ecbus A–653 from Brussels, March 11, transmitted the EEC Commission’s information memorandum summarizing Rabot’s statement to the GATT Agriculture Committee concerning the Community’s agricultural negotiating plan for the Kennedy Round. (Department of State, Central Files, AGR 1 EEC)↩
  4. Tagg 1830 from Geneva, February 21, reported the results of the Agriculture Committee meeting which concluded on Thursday, February 20, including an interpretation of the EEC’s plan. (Ibid., AGR 3 GATT)↩