Much Further

He spoke of Britain's hopes for good terms. "Britain will clearly not get all she wants from her negotiations. What she is agreeing to now, is a far cry from the Industrial Free Trade Area she proposed in 1957. She will have to go much further than she wanted to then, in giving up economic and social sovereignty, particularly in common agricultural and transport policies and in dismantling the system of Commonwealth preference."

Professor Holmes said that obviously Britain could join only with some damages to Commonwealth interests. The Six, were, however apparently prepared to make several departures from then original arrangements to reduce these costs.

"They are providing for the association of African and Caribbean countries and for most dependent territories. They are willing to remove their 18 per cent tariff on tea and to conclude comprehensive trade agreements with India, Pakistan and Ceylon, although they want to wait till 1966 to do this. They have made small concessions to Britain on agricultural policy, and vaguely offer to work out special terms for N.Z The difficulty is temperate foodstuffs, and here there seems little chance that Britain can get anywhere near what she wants."

He said that if Britain joined, the Six would have better terms of entry to the British market for both industrial and agricultural products. They would gain entry, through the removal of preference to other Commonwealth markets. The price paid would be that of according freer entry to British and some Commonwealth products. Generally, they expected greater growth and high employment throughout the EEC.