COMMON MARKET BACK TO WORK WHEN CHARLES DE GAULLE SHOCKED EUROPE WITH 
HIS HIGHHANDED EXCLUSION OF BRITAIN FROM THE COMMON MARKET LAST JANUARY, 
MANY EUROPEAN OFFICIALS SPECULATED THAT THE GENERAL'S ACTION MIGHT PERMANENTLY DISRUPT 
THE COMMON MARKET'S PROGRESS . INDEED, FOR TWO MONTHS, MEETING AFTER 
MEETING AT BRUSSELS ENDED IN RECRIMINATION AND DEADLOCK . BUT FINALLY 
LAST WEEK THE REST OF THE SIX SWALLOWED THEIR RESENTMENT AT 
FRANCE AND GOT BACK TO BUSINESS AS BEFORE . TWO AND 
A HALF YEARS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, THE COMMON MARKET NATIONS VOTED 
ANOTHER 10 PER CENT SLASH IN EACH NATION'S CUSTOMS DUTIES ON 
INDUSTRIAL IMPORTS FROM OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, AND AGREED TO 
CUT BY 20 PER CENT THE AVERAGE TARIFF ON A WIDE 
RANGE OF INDUSTRIAL GOODS IMPORTED FROM OUTSIDE THE COMMON MARKET . 
THE LATEST REDUCTION WAS PLAINLY INTENDED AS A GOODWILL GESTURE ON 
THE EVE OF TARIFF-CUTTING NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE U.S . IN GENEVA 
NEXT MONTH . HOWEVER, WHAT THE U.S . IS PRIMARILY ANXIOUS 
TO SECURE AT GENEVA ITS EUROPEAN MARKET FOR AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS WILL 
NOT BE UP FOR NEGOTIATION, SINCE THE COMMON MARKET NATIONS LAST 
WEEK WERE UNABLE TO AGREE ON THEIR OWN PRICE LEVELS 