BRUSSELS. Sept 8: European car Industry leaders on Tuesday attacked, a new car trade deal between the European Community and Japan, saying It was unacceptable for Tokyo to boost tts market share during the EC sector's worst decline since World War-11, reports Reuter.

The board of directors of ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers Association) said the deal meant that Japan’s EC market share would rise to at lea-t 12.5 percent In 1993 from 11.3 per cent last year.

In a statement Issued after discussion at a board meeting In Frankfurt. ACEA said this increase was "In total contradiction" with a 1991 EC-Japan agreement limiting Japanese car exports to the EC for the rest of the decade.

"At a time when European automobile manufacturers are announcing massive workforce reductions, an Increase In Japanese market share Is un-acceptable," the statement said.

ACEA said the 1991 agreement was based on the principle of fair sharing of market downturns as well as Increases and that both'sides had undertaken to uphold the spirit and the letter of this understanding

ACEA said the latest agreement, announced In Tokyo last weekend after talks between the European Commission and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MH1). would cut Japanese car sales In the EC by about 100,000 this year

while the market would shrink by at least 2.4 million.

Japan agreed on Saturday to lower the celling on its 1993 exports of cars and light commercial vehicles to the com-munfty to 980,000. Compared with an earlier limit of 1.089 million set In April.

The April accord was based on a forecast that EC demand would fall by 6.5 per cent tn 1993 while the new agreement is based on an estimated fall of 15.0 per cent.

Tuesday's ACEA statement welcomed both sides' efforts to adjust their market forecasts, but called on them to Implement their commitments under the 1991 accord which provides for a transition period until the EC market is opened fully to Japanese competition at the end of 1999.