The Council of Ministers of the European Economic Community, the policy-making body of the European Common Market, opened today a two-day meeting with a decision to continue negotiations with Israel on arrangement of some kind of trade ties with Euromart.
The first round of such talks started last November. The date of the second round of talks remains to be decided but the EEC Commission was asked to start contacts with all interested parties to fix a date. Sources in the six-nation community indicated that the present Council of Ministers session was expected to bring considerable progress in completing the EEC position on applications for trade ties by such smaller countries as Israel, Turkey and Iran.
The issue was raised last week at a meeting of the European Parliament at Strasbourg at which Jean Rey, member of the EEC in charge of foreign relations, expressed optimism about the prospects for a trade agreement for Israel. The European Parliament, which meets monthly in Strasbourg to review Common Market issues, has not legislative powers, exercising influence by adoption of resolutions.
The Parliament ended its deliberations with a resolution urging the EEC to complete action on special treaties with countries such as Israel which are not eligible for membership. The appeal for Israel, and for Turkey and Austria, was part of a resolution which dealt mainly with the French-imposed ban on Britain’s bid for admission.
Rey said that he hoped decisions to be taken at the Council of Ministers meeting would include Israel “on the basis of documents we sent them.” He added he believed that the Council of Ministers “will come to terms on our proposals and that consequently, we will be able to go ahead” on talks with Israel.
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