362. Telegram From the Mission to the European Communities to the Department of State1
Brussels, January 27, 1968,
1400Z.
4323. Subject: Poultry. Ref: Brussels 41282 and Geneva 2322.3
- 1.
- In a conversation with Hijzen on January 26 we reminded him that we were waiting for replies from the Commission on both aspects of our poultry problem with the Community. We noted that the Commission owed us a response to our previous indication that the U.S. would be prepared to listen to what the Commission might propose in regard to a possible roll back of some of our previous retaliation. We also pointed out that the U.S. had agreed to refrain for several days requesting the establishing of a GATT working party on poultry so that the Commission could consider the matter further.
- 2.
- Hijzen was fully aware that it was up to the Commission to respond on these two matters. He said that the Commission was reviewing these problems but had not yet decided what to do.
- 3.
- He described the policy problem before the Commission. On the [one] hand, the Community could not expect the U.S. to refrain from pressing for a GATT working party on poultry unless the Community was prepared to talk with us seriously on a bilateral basis. On the other hand, the Commission could not in all fairness begin bilateral talks with us unless the Community was prepared to offer the U.S. something worthwhile in regard to access. Continuing to think aloud, Hijzen said that in any bilateral talks it probably would be necessary to consider both aspects of the problem, access and subsidies. Hijzen’s personal preference would be to talk informally with us about all aspects of the poultry problem.
- 4.
- We stressed the importance of beginning rapidly discussions that have good prospects of leading to constructive results. Hijzen promised to get in touch with us on Monday. He thought that he might then be in the position to suggest that a meeting between Commissioner Deniau and Ambassador Schaetzel take place early in that week.
Schaetzel