The Common Market and Conservative Party politics, 1961–2

1967 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 372-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald Butt
Keyword(s):  
European Economic Community ◽  
Domestic Politics ◽  
Conservative Party ◽  
Common Market ◽  
British Politics ◽  
Economic Community ◽  
European Economic ◽  
The Third ◽  
Marginal Part ◽  
The Common

The Common Market as an issue in domestic British politics under the Macmillan government – and distinct from the negotiations, as such, with the European Economic Community – can be considered under three broad heads. First, there is the question how the decision to seek entry for Britain was taken. How far was it a political decision; how far was it motivated by the views of civil servants; how far was it prompted by interest groups in industry and finance ? Secondly, how did the Conservative Party become converted to the idea of British membership of the European Economic Community and how significant was the opposition to the idea that developed in the party ? The third question is what effect, if any, did domestic political opposition to the Common Market have on the French President's eventual veto of the project ?Except by implication, the third question is excluded from consideration here. Only a close student of French domestic politics is competent to evaluate how far, if at all, the hostility to the European idea in a section of the Conservative Party and the official objections of the Labour Party to British membership of EEC on any terms that then seemed negotiable, made it easier for the French President to impose his final veto. Conceivably, the possibility that a successor labour government might disown any treaty that the conservatives had signed may have played a marginal part in assisting the President's attitude in the final stages.

The European Economic Community: A Sovereign Entity Under its Own Legal Order

1988 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 177-189
Author(s):  
Ivan Sipkov
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
European Community ◽  
European Economic Community ◽  
Legal Order ◽  
Common Market ◽  
Primary Task ◽  
Economic Community ◽  
Member States ◽  
European Economic ◽  
The Common

The European Economic Community (EEC), also known as the European Community, the Common Market, and the Community, originated through the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) Treaty. The inaugural agreement was signed in Paris on April 18, 1951, and became effective on July 25, 1952. The original members included Germany, France, Italy, and the Benelux countries of Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. The primary task of the ECSC Treaty was to create a common market for coal and steel by prohibiting all duties on imports and exports and all quantitative and private restraints on competition. This Treaty is considered the first step towards a united Europe. Its decisive innovation was to entitle the Community's institutions established by the Treaty to directly bind member states and enterprises by means of its decisions.

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

1958 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 417-418 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
World Trade ◽  
European Economic Community ◽  
Balance Of Payments ◽  
Common Market ◽  
Economic Community ◽  
European Economic ◽  
The Common ◽  
Import Restrictions ◽  
Overseas Territories

The 37 contracting parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) were represented at the meeting of the GATT inter-sessional committee, held in Geneva for three weeks, beginning April 14, 1958. The committee discussed at length the provisions of the Rome treaty establishing the European Economic Community. In its consideration of the question, the committee dealt with the common customs tariff which the community was to bring in, the use of import restrictions by the six signatories to protect their balance of payments situation, the so-called managed market for agriculture, and the association of the overseas territories of the community as part of the common market and the effect of this on world trade. Baron Snoy, who represented the European Economic Community, informed the committee that there would be a meeting in July at which representatives of the six countries would discuss preliminary matters affecting agriculture.

Plan G – A ‘Counterblast’? British Policy towards the Messina Countries, 1956

1998 ◽  
Vol 7 (01) ◽  
pp. 39-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Schaad
Keyword(s):  
European Economic Community ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
New Labour ◽  
Common Market ◽  
Economic Community ◽  
Labour Government ◽  
European Economic ◽  
European Project ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Common

As the new Labour government has declared its intention to enhance Britain's role in Europe, there is renewed interest in the chequered history of Anglo-European relations. Of particular relevance in view of the present policy reappraisal is the period between 1955 and 1963, as the challenge here is to account for perhaps the most fundamental policy reversal: from Britain's refusal to take part in the common market project launched by the six member countries of the European Coal and Steel Community(ECSC) at the Messina conference to Prime Minister Harold Macmillan's effort to negotiate entry into the European Economic Community (EEC). Given that this latter effort proved unsuccessful, it is said by some that the earlier date represents the British failure to seize the opportunity to be part of the European project. The catchphrase‘missing the boat at Messina’ – though not undisputed – is most illustrative of this view.

The Five-Year Experience of the European Coal and Steel Community

1958 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred H. Sanderson
Keyword(s):  
Economic Integration ◽  
Iron Ore ◽  
European Economic Community ◽  
Financial Assistance ◽  
Common Market ◽  
Economic Community ◽  
European Economic ◽  
The Common ◽  
Energy Community ◽  
Escape Clauses

Since the signing and ratification of the treaties establishing the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), there has been renewed interest in the organization which pioneered die European effort toward economic integration under supra-national institutions. The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) commemorates this year two anniversaries which are of more dian usual significance. February 10 and May 1, 1958, mark die completion of die first five years of die common market for coal and iron ore, and for steel and scrap, respectively. February 10 also marks die end of die “period of transition” provided by die treaty to cushion die impact of competidon on weak industries and to facilitate their adaptation to die conditions of the common market. During this period, some member countries were authorized to continue certain customs duties (e.g., on Italian imports of coke and steel), subsidies (e.g., for Lorraine coal and coke), and odier protective devices; and in some cases, provision was made for financial assistance by the Community itself (e.g., in favor of coal mines in Belgium and Sardinia). But unlike the escape clauses included in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), diese exemptions and supports were limited to five years, widi die possibility, in some cases, of a further extension of two years. Also during this period, measures were to be taken to eliminate discriminatory practices and to harmonize the conditions of competition, particularly in transport, and a common tariff was to be worked out vis-à-vis non-member countries.

European Communities

1959 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 335-341
Keyword(s):  
European Economic Community ◽  
Atomic Energy ◽  
Common Market ◽  
The Other ◽  
Consultative Committee ◽  
Economic Community ◽  
European Economic ◽  
Court Of Justice ◽  
The Common ◽  
Energy Community

By the Rome treaties of March 25, 1957, which established the European Economic Community (EEC or common market) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), five major institutions were created to serve the Communities. Three of these organs, the Assembly, the Court of Justice, and the Economic and Social Committee, were to be the same for both Communities, under the conditions respectively laid down in the two treaties, while the other two institutions, the Council and the Commission, were to remain separate. According to the Convention which dealt with the institutions common to the Communities, the Assembly was to replace the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), and the Court of Justice was to replace the Court provided for in the treaty establishing ECSC. The Economic and Social Committee was to serve only EEC and Euratom since ECSC was already served by a comparable body, the Consultative Committee.

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