117. Editorial Note
On December 21, the French, German, U.K., and U.S. Heads of State and Government, who had been meeting at Paris and Rambouillet since December 19, issued a special communiqué on the world economic situation. It asserted that Western Europe’s economic progress enabled nearly all of the industrialized nations of the free world to increase their efforts to further international economic development and to pursue trade policies promoting sound use of economic resources and international harmony. The Heads of State and Government, it continued, believed that “these cooperative principles should also govern the discussions on commercial problems arising from the existence of European economic regional organizations, which are or will be constituted within the framework of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, such as the European Economic Community and the European Free Trade Association. Their relations both with other countries and with each other should be discussed in this spirit.”
They agreed to meet informally in Paris to discuss the means of implementing these ideas, and suggested that members of the Executive Committee of the European Economic Community and governments with citizens on the OEEC Steering Board for Trade attend the meeting. For text of the communiqué, see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1959, pages 576–577.
The following day, GATT Executive Secretary Eric Wyndham White sent Under Secretary Dillon the following message:
“I am most anxious that the Paris communiqué should not appear to non-OEEC countries as by-passing GATT. The European reaction strengthens my concern since the Paris decision is widely interpreted here as leading to the establishment of a reinforced OEEC as the basis for trade cooperation between North America and Europe. This I feel is most unfortunate in view of the encouraging atmosphere for world-wide cooperation developed in Tokyo and the general concern that regionalism should be contained within the broader framework of GATT. Would it not be desirable for an authoritative statement to be made in Washington to put matters in better perspective.” (Telegram 1017 from Geneva, December 22; Department of State, Central Files, 394.41/12–2259)
Dillon’s December 23 reply reads:
“Appreciate your comments. We fully aware necessity maintain GATT as primary world forum for handling trade problems and need for assuring that any regional developments are kept within framework of GATT principles. All US missions in free world were provided guidance to this effect upon issuance of special communiqué following Western Summit meeting.” (Telegram 1543 to Geneva, December 23; ibid., 394.41/12–2359)