Brussels, 23 February 1962
55. Confidential
We discussed Australian participation in restricted session yesterday evening.
2. I spoke on lines of Notes agreed in London.1 Chairman2 explained that Six had not reached an agreed opinion and all delegates expressed views.
3. All speakers expressed apprehension about precedent that might be created for other Commonwealth countries and danger of complication and slowing down of negotiations. Lahr (Germany)3 who opened discussion suggested that Australian representation might be permitted at working party level or ‘at most at deputies’; that attendance should not be repeated or extended in time; and that such arrangements should only be permitted for major Commonwealth countries. Fayat (Belgium)4 supported this but suggested limitations to discussions on particular commodities in working parties. Luns (Netherlands)5 and Cattani (Italy)6 argued against Australian representation as also did Hallstein (Commission).7
4. Alternative suggestions thrown out in discussion were that Australians should have right to submit documents or that they should have the right of access to Chairmen of Committees; or that they should be allowed to make a once-for-all statement of their position at a Ministerial or deputies meeting.8
5. Couve (in the Chair) who appeared to be prepared to support a carefully limited right of representation (though Pisani9 sitting as leader of the French Delegation said that any association of Commonwealth countries with the negotiations would disturb farming opinion in France), finally suggested that the question should be remitted to deputies for further examination. They should be asked to consider the matter ‘dans un esprit pas trop negative’ but with regard to the importance of not over complicating the negotiations. They should report to next meeting of Ministers. We accepted this proposal rather than try forthwith to reach a compromise which would certainly have been such as the Australians would regard as inadequate.
1 Document 164.
2 Maurice Couve de Murville, French Foreign Minister
3 Rolf Lahr, Germany’s principal representative at the Brussels negotiations.
4 Henri Fayat, Belgian Deputy Foreign Minister.
5 Joseph Luns, Dutch Foreign Minister.
6 Attilio Cattani, Secretary-General, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
7 Walter Hallstein, Secretary-General of the Commission of the European Communities
8 Ministerial meetings, as the name suggests, were the top-level meetings of ministers. Meetings of deputies were meetings at the most senior civil servant level.
9 Edgard Pisani, French Minister of Agriculture.
[UKNA: DO 159/56]