Reply to the 4th annual report of the European Free Trade Association
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 3rd and 4th November 1964 (9th, 10th and 11th Sittings) (see Docs. Doc. 1796, 4th annual report of EFTA, and Doc. 1807, report of the Economic Committee). Text adopted by the Assembly on 4th November 1964 (11th Sitting), as amended.
The Assembly :
1. Thanks the European Free Trade Association for the transmission of its 4th annual report ;
2. Notes with satisfaction that intra-EFTA trade, as well as EFTA's trade with EEC and with the rest of the world, has continued to expand ;
3. Also notes with satisfaction that a good start has been made in implementing the decisions reached at Lisbon in May last year with a view first to ensuring that the integration of the economies of the EFTA countries is not frustrated or distorted by non-tariff barriers to trade, and secondly to securing a fair balance of advantage to all EFTA countries ;
4. Welcomes the joint activities embarked upon by EFTA within the framework of the Economic Development Committee ;
5. Notes with interest that EFTA has undertaken its first annual review of trade in agriculture ;
6. Invites EFTA countries to continue to avail themselves of the possibilities offered through the Council of Europe, OECD, ECMT, ECAC, and other Europe-wide bodies for promoting European co-operation on the widest possible basis ;
7. Considering that a long time may elapse before the discussions to bring the present economic division to an end can be resumed, and convinced that in the meanwhile it is important that steps be taken to prevent unnecessary divergencies in the internal development of EEC and EFTA and to minimise friction in the relations between them, invites EFTA to consider what initiatives the Association could take on its side to establish consultations with EEC with a view to both groupings seeking, wherever possible, solutions on the desired lines to the problems that arise in the process of integrating their respective markets ;
8. Believes that full and accurate knowledge of the aims and activities of EFTA amongst the general public would materially contribute to a better understanding of the possibility of one day bridging the present gap, and reiterates the view it expressed last year that further efforts are called for from EFTA in the publicity field ;
9. Expresses its lively concern at the emergency economic measures taken by the British Government and, although of the opinion that the economic situation of the United Kingdom no doubt calls for energetic action, regrets that the British Government should have chosen measures that cannot fail to have serious repercussions on international trade, particularly intra-European trade, and also regrets that these measures were taken by the British Government without previously consulting its EFTA partners and other European countries ;
10. Expressing the hope that the 15% surtax on imports will be reduced and eventually abolished as early as possible, invites EFTA to arrange within the Association regular consultations on economic and financial policy among member Governments, without prejudice to the consultations now taking place on the subject in OECD, which not only continue to be necessary but must be intensified.
