Letter from William P. Fay to Jacques Camille Paris¹ (Strasbourg)
(417/39/78) (Copy)

In reply to your letter (D/3120) of 29th March² conveying an invitation from the French Government to take part in a conference to discuss the creation of a European Organisation for the marketing of certain agricultural products, I have the honour to inform you that the Irish Government is prepared to accept the invitation.

The Irish Government believe that the French Government have in issuing this invitation, taken a valuable initiative which will enable the proposed conference to consider in a general way the whole field of European agriculture. Like the French Government, the Irish Government desire to contribute to the achievement of closer economic co-operation between the States of Western Europe and for that purpose to take their full part in considering any proposals designed to bring about that object. This is particularly the case in respect of agriculture, having regard to the predominance of agriculture in the Irish economy. The Irish Government consider, however, that proposals for the closer integration of Western European agriculture must necessarily raise many problems of fundamental importance to all countries whose principal resources are based upon agriculture; they consider, also, that the problem of integrating European agricultural production requires to be approached from a wholly different angle to that of integrating the heavy industry of Europe.

Having these considerations in mind, the Irish Government consider it well to point out that their acceptance of the invitation to be represented at the conference in question does not necessarily involve any commitment on their part to the principles outlined in the French Government’s Memorandum of which a copy was enclosed with your letter.

The Irish Government is also of the opinion that, as matters relating to the production and marketing of agricultural products in Europe have been under detailed and continuous examination for over three years in the Food and Agriculture Committee of the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation, the experience and knowledge thus gained should be taken into account in dealing with the present proposals and it is, accordingly, their view that the French Government’s proposal might be most profitably discussed within the framework of that Organisation.