6 JULY 1962, Page 4

A Certain Softening

Front Our Common Market Correspondent

Ttin Common Market negotiators had little concrete to show last week for their longest Ministerial session so far, but there is general agreement that it was probably the best to date in that it got to grips—almost to blows—with the 'test' problem of the whole negotiation : cereals' from the Commonwealth.

The cereals problem is very far from solved. This, after all, is the point at which the interests of Commonwealth and Common Market are in. sharpest conflict. But at least the gloom which prevailed on this issue before the meeting has been lightened with much explanation and also, bpoystiwtioonssmall but significant softenings of the rival' That the Six have softened is due principally to the fact that the French delegation found them: selves more clearly than ever isolated in demand- ing that the full rigours of the Common Market agricultural policy shall be applied to the British market. Signor Colombo, the discreetly pro- British and abnormally brilliant young Italian who has been chairing the meetings for the last, three months, has unfortunately retired, but hiS final service was to demonstrate remorselessly to the French at all private Ministerial meetings of the Six, by frequent counting of heads, that the, French were alone. The French were particularly. annoyed to find that the German delegaticitt under Herr Schroeder had entirely deserted then"` and they have not hesitated to accuse the Ger- mans of wanting to make concessions to Britain n as a precedent for protecting 'the German farme?`:`, NeVertheless, with a bad grace M. Couve de Mur:. villa, the French Fo'reign Minister, did finallit_ agree that the Commonwealth should be offered'. 'consultation' if world4ide commodity agre0 Meats have not been reached by 1970, when tlie' EEC's transitional period runs out. Exactly.what this 'consultation' would mean not yet clear, but it of least leaves some hope that the vital transitional 'guarantees for the Common- wealth might be continued beyond the l9'1 'precipice.' softening on the British side is lesS obviodi but it is there none the less and is already causing the Commonwealth some anxiety. There is now noticeably less disposition on the part of British officials to talk about 'comparable outlets' for the Commonwealth in the Community Market. This is the concept which the Six are entirely united in rejecting and it has not gone unnoticed by them that Mr. Heath did not once use it in his state ment on Monday to the House of Commons. The British negotiators are now concentrating on 'comparable access' to the EEC market which is not quite the same thing. If a country. has guarani teed access to,a market it merely means that the market Will not impose restrictions on the quantity of 'goods Sold' there: it does not necet sarily mean that there will be indefinit preference in that market. In short both sides are preparing to move .a little, but it. is highly doubtful whether the prob.- lem will yield before the middle of August at the earliest or even in time to be included in the 'general view' to which the Commonwealth Prime Ministers are to he. treated in September.