Great Britain and Europe

Résumé du document

In 1950, the French Foreign Secretary Robert Schuman set out his idea of a Coal and Steel Community between France and Germany, which would be an organization open to some other European countries if they would accept the idea of a supra-national power. Great Britain refused to be part of it. The condition of a supra-national power immediately seemed unacceptable to Great Britain. In 1957, France, Benelux, Germany and Great Britain signed the Roma Treaty. The EURATOM and the European Economic Community were created. However, Great Britain finally estimated not being able to take part in it for the same reasons as in 1950. On January 4th, 1960 the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) was created on Great Britain's initiative. This treaty, called Stockholm Treaty, instituted a free trade zone between Great Britain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Swiss and Portugal. Finland joined in 1961. In this way, Great Britain wanted to create a rival association in order to hamper the Common Trade and maybe to bring about its dislocation.

Extraits

[...] George W. Bush's departure permit to anticipate a foreseeable turning point in the foreign American policy, which however has already started, even if the new President renounces neither to the American role of leader in the international affairs nor to the preponderant place of the military power within its international role. The new President will most probably be very keen to take the opposite course to its predecessor's policy. It is very likely that the American officials will first of all appeal to the assistance of the European Union and of the member countries, especially of British and French officials. [...]

[...] Finally, considering British and American relations, while conciliating its necessary European commitment and its straight relations with the important American ally, Great Britain could become the bridge that connects the Old Continent and the New World and that brings Europe to the forefront on the international scene by having thus possibility to convince the United States to join the European steps from January 2009. So, there is no lack for Great Britain to recover a first choice role on the European scene and to help Europe to be more than ever inevitable on the international scene. Great Britain's next choices concerning its foreign and European policy will be determining for its future in Europe and for Europe's future. [...]

[...] First of all, a rapprochement between Great Britain and France seems to be conceivable. Actually, the British decision to support the American invasion of Iraq without any consultation of the other European countries and the French rejection of the constitutional treaty without any alternative proposition are two examples which highlight the fundamental conditions of a European boosting. By reminding how much these two decisions have been harmful for their respective countries, these two examples show that it is by helping and supporting each other that Great Britain and France will manage to recover their own position on the European and international scenes. [...]

[...] In October 1991 the European Economic Community and the European Free Trade Association merged and the Maastricht Treaty was signed (economic and monetary union). In 1993 Great Britain ratified the Maastricht Treaty except for the social chapter. In 1997 Great Britain gave up taking part in the single change, Euro. Tony Blair was elected Prime Minister and Great Britain signed the social chapter of the Maastricht Treaty and the Human Rights European Convention. But in 2001 he took a decision concerning defence without consulting the other European members. [...]

[...] GREAT BRITAIN AND EUROPE In 1950 the French Foreign Secretary Robert Schuman set out his idea of a Coal and Steel Community between France and Germany, which would be an organization open to some others European countries if they would accept the idea of a supra-national power. Great Britain refused to be part of it. The condition of a supra-national power immediately seemed unacceptable to Great Britain. In 1957 France, Benelux, Germany and Great Britain signed the Roma Treaty. The EURATOM and the European Economic Community were created. However Great Britain finally estimated not being able to take part in it for the same reasons than in 1950. On January 4th 1960 the European Free Trade Association (E.F.T.A.) is created on Great Britain's initiative. [...]