andMr. McQuillan asked the Taoiseach whether any of the present members of the EEC are permitted to have preferential trading arrangements with their former colonies or dependent territories.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Common Market: Preferential Trading Arrangements.
3.
I would direct the Deputies' attention to Part IV of the Rome Treaty, the Implementing Convention relating to the Association with the Community of the Overseas Countries and Territories and the Protocol relating to goods originating in and coming from certain countries and enjoying special treatment on importation into one of the Member States.
The Implementing Convention will expire at the end of this year and a new Implementing Convention is at present being negotiated for a further period.
Is it conceivable that arrangements could be made to retain certain preferential trading arrangements with colonial and former colonial countries?
I presume if we were a former French colony, we would have the same rights.
Is it conceivable then, in so far as we were at one stage a member of the Commonwealth, that preferential arrangements could be made with Britain if we wished to have a different sort of association?
I would not think so.
Is it the Taoiseach's view there can be no preferential arrangements arrived at in the solution of the British application to enter the Common Market?
The whole purpose of the operation is to abolish any preferential treatment.