He said that if Congress eased restrictions, the 15-nation European Union would carry out its obligations under an agreement with the U.S. for European companies to avoid investing in companies holding assets that include U.S. property seized by the Cuban government. That agreement was reached last May with the Clinton administration.
Brittan said a good-faith effort by the administration to get the legislation changed, if it ended unsuccessfully, would not be acceptable. He also said he could not agree to reopening negotiations to modify the agreement.
``The U.S. has to amend the legislation,'' Brittan said at the National Press Club. ``If it does not, then it can't expect us to carry out our side of the agreement.''
He said if Congress did not act ``the pressure would be enormous'' to return the dispute to the World Trade Organization. The Europeans suspended their action before the WTO in the spring of 1997 to allow time for negotiations with the administration.
Under the accord, the United States would grant permanent waivers to the 1996 Helms-Burton Act, which imposes U.S. sanctions against foreign companies that do business with Cuba. In exchange, members of the EU agreed to join in creating a global registry of property confiscated by Cuba and other governments that would remain off-limits to investors.
But prospects of Congress amending Helms-Burton Act appear to be slim.
Neither Sen. Jesse Helms, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,nor Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., the two sponsors of the law, have backed the agreement the administration reached with the Europeans. Helms has called it a ``a lot of hot air.''
© Copyright 1998 The Associated Press