Britain and the EU. The long path towards Britain accession to the EU. 1961-1992

Résumé du document

In 1961, the 6-founding members of the EEC were confronted with the issue of expansion of the European Union (previously called as EEC). Prime Minister Harold Mac Millan announced that his government wished to join the Community and triggered the application of several other European countries. Since then, the negotiations for Britain to a part of the union has through a difficult phase. In his study of Britain's international policy, David Reynolds considered the membership of the EEC to be the most profound revolution in British foreign policy in the twentieth century.

Extraits

[...] Thatcher opposed such interventionism. During the Madrid Summit of 1989, Thatcher's problems were growing also within the British government. The British economy was in trouble. Abroad her old ally Reagan has gone, the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe threatened the existence of NATO and made Thatcher's cold War outlook redundant. European policy was one the reason of Thatcher's fall in 1990. However, specialists argue that she had a positive attitude towards European policy: she never advocated withdrawal from the EC. [...]

[...] Both men finally threatened Thatcher to resign if she did not agree with Delors Plan. She had her revenged, replacing the Chancellor of the Exchequer by John Major, who paradoxically took Britain to ERM (Exchange rate mechanism) in 1990. Maastricht Treaty Thatcher, for whom the Pound Sterling was a symbol of national sovereignty, made her opposition to EMU clear. She was isolated and furious about the adoption of a single currency before the end of the century. In some way, Thatcher sounded like De Gaulle. [...]

[...] He achieved British goals: the agreement with the US and Third world countries through GATT, as well as the enlargement towards the East European countries and western countries such as Sweden and Austria. Maastricht had laid down a Timetable for EMU. At the time of Maastricht, UK won an opt-out clause in the Treaty, meaning that Britain could choose not to join EMU. So chose so government. One gain of Maastricht was to create a common economic area including EFTA and the EC. [...]

[...] Blair stresses the central role he wanted Britain to take in this new Europe. For instance, Foreign Secretary Robin Cook committed to sign the social chapter and to agree extension of majority voting. (Amsterdam Treaty). However, NATO has been left as a safeguard of European defence under Britain veto. As regards EMU, Blair adopted Major wait-and-see approach. British citizens are at liberty to open Euro bank accounts. The stake is now to know whether a Europe la Carte' is acceptable. [...]

[...] It was made clear that Britain accession to the EEC would be impossible under De Gaulle's governance in France. He resigned after 1968 Student demonstrations and a new French President, Georges Pompidou was elected. Pompidou met the new British Prime Minister, Ted Heath in 1969 and informed him that France wouldn't hamper anymore Britain membership. Edward Heath was the only British Prime Minister who truly believed in Europe. The Treaty of Accession was finally signed in Brussels in January 1972. [...]