THE TWO-DAY MEETING OF THE MINISTERIAL COUNCIL OF EFTA, THE EUROPEAN FREE TRADE ASSOCIATION, OPENED IN BERGEN TODAY (THURSDAY) WITH NOTICE FROM BRITAIN THAT SHE IS NOT RUSHING TO GET INTO THE COMMON MARKET.

THE BRITISH DELEGATION IS HEADED BY THE ECONOMICS MINISTER, MR GEORGE BROWN. HE TOLD THE COUNCIL THAT HIS COUNTRY WOULD HOWEVER EXPLORE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO ENTER. THERE HAD BEEN SOME CHANGES IN THE FRENCH ATTITUDE, HE SAID, BUT IT WAS NOT AT THE POINT OF WELCOMING BRITAIN, WITH ITS SPECIAL AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS.

THE PROSPECTS FOR ECONOMIC INTEGRATION AND RELATIONS WITH THE COMMON MARKET WERE KEY THEMES OF MINISTERS' SPEECHES AT THE OPENING SESSION. THE EFTA SEVEN ARE SWEDEN, DENMARK, NORWAY, SWITZERLAND, AUSTRIA, PORTUGAL AND BRITAIN, AND REPRESENT A MARKET OF AROUND 100 MILLION PEOPLE. LIECHTENSTEIN WAS ALSO AT THE TALKS AS AN OBSERVER.

AUSTRIA IS HOPING TO JOIN THE COMMON MARKET AND THE OUTCOME OF THE NEGOTIATIONS ON THIS ARE EXPECTED BY THE AUTUMN. DR FRITZ BOCK, THE NEW AUSTRIAN VICE-CHANCELLOR, TOLD THE MINISTERS, THAT IF IT BECAME CLEAR IN THE AUTUMN THAT AN AGREEMENT WITH THE COMMON MARKET COULD NOT BE EXPECTED IN THE FOLLOWING MONTHS, AUSTRIA WOULD CERTAINLY FOLLOW EFTA'S FINAL TARIFF REDUCTION OF 20 PER CENT. THERE HAD BEEN ALLEGATIONS THAT AUSTRIA WAS AGAINST THE LAST TARIFF CUTS.