European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 3, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Dai Magazine Ottyce lights at dec Headquarters spell out big year of single Market Trade bloc. Carls Hills . Trade representative. No Market la As  by Sally Jacobsen associated Pressa Merican businesses Are Rushing to open factories snap up companies and sell their products to take advantage of i to giant consumer Market that will to formed in Western Europe in 1992. . Corporate executives Are plotting strategy Lor the single Market that will be created when the dozen nations of the european Community it rid of the Many Trade barriers separating them it is no More business As usual advises data resources inc., a us consulting firm. Businesses agree. "1992 will  said William Gibson president of digital microwave corp. A California company Europe will look very much like the United states " " the opportunities Here Are very great said Chris Chancy in Brussels sitting in the just opened european office of mul Tillow a computer maker. The Date 1992 has become the catchword for the move by the dec trading bloc to allow the free movement of people Money goods and services among the 12 member nations. Its deadline for creating the single european wide Market is dec. 31,1992, Carla Hills the . Trade representative told Congress recently no other Market is As important for american exporters or our investors As is the Market of the european  the dec also known As the Corr Mon Market was the . Firms set sights on Europe 1992 United slates largest trading partner last year. American companies of All sizes and in a variety of Fields want to get into the Market under the deadline "1992 is now and companies need to gel a toehold in the european Market said Paul Shor. Director of dec affairs for Hill and Knowlton a Public relations firm. Alfred Kingon the former . Ambassador to the Community said one option nobody has is to Wail until 1992 to see what shape the Market is going Lobo. They have to do their thinking  Paul Provost director of dec Public affairs lot the american Telephone and Telegraph co., said companies Are investing Money hiring employees and setting up research and development facilities some worry the Community will set up barriers denying outsiders Access to its 320 million people there is a fear that advocates of a Europe for the europeans approach May succeed in delaying or taking charge of key elements of the 1992 Agenda said James Robinson chairman of american express that could Lead to discrimination against companies of non european  he said in a speech in Brussels. A recent . Commerce department report said u a companies should Benefit from the single Market. But it cautioned a danger exists it the program is put into effect in a less than open  California s digital microwave which makes High performance Short haul transmission products does t want to be excluded. Our intent is to become a european supplier said Gibson. Last year the company opened a factory in Scotland the fear of fortress Europe was much stronger last year. But the dec has tried to Calm anxieties that in will throw up protectionist barriers to keep others out the whole fortress Europe concern has cooled Oil said Eamonn Bates dec affairs manager Lor the american chamber of Commerce in Brussels people have got More informed and now know a lot More about 1992 they realize it s not All bad  in a key move the Community backed Oil a proposal that appeared to discriminate against foreign Banks and financial institutions which do billions of dollars Worth of business in Europe. Bates said . Businesses were encouraged Hal things can be worked out in you Deal with Community officials  the latest red flags have been hoisted Over the Community s plans for regulating to programming Industrial standards and government purchases in the Fields of telecommunications water Energy and transportation. Hills has complained about the move to require that a majority of entertainment programs shown on european to be made in Europe. She said it would almost certainly have a disastrous effect on the american Industry s earnings in Europe. The United Stales has also objected to a plan to Lei governments reject bids for telecommunications products in More than half the components were made outside the Community. Such local Content provisions also have surfaced in purchasing proposals Lor Energy water and transportation. But big multinational companies with Long histories in Europe say they re ready. Since the 1950s. International business machines corp. Has maintained a pan european manufacturing approach. It made business sense to treat Europe As an  said ism spokesman John Wells in Paris. Ism has a dozen manufacturing plants in the dec countries. More than 90 percent of the products it Sells in Europe Are made in Europe. Other companies Are strengthening their positions. In 1986, american companies completed 89 mergers and acquisitions Worth $ 1.4 billion in the trading bloc according to Martin Sikora editor of mergers and acquisitions Magazine. The number of deals Rose to 107, valued at $2,4 billion in 1987, and amounted to 82, Worth $2.1 billion dollars last year. Most were in food pharmaceuticals Industrial equipment and electronics and computers. It allows larger stronger More aggressive companies of play in this vast Market Sikora said. The stars and stripes Page 13