Britain and the EEC

Britain and the EEC

1. EEC vision

   • Jean Monnet: Europe needs to move to an ever closer union
   • 6 countries to share Sovereignty and never repeat war
     • France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Belgium and Netherlands
   • Their common market makes them a large economic unit like the US
   • Have a treaty that sets rules and a commission to police the community

2. Background to EEC

   • 1944, 3 exiled Governments form the Benelux Customs Union
   • 1948, treaty of Brussels -- UK and France join Benelux for Military collaboration -- lead to NATO
   • 1951 European Coal and Steel Community -- restrictions on coal and steel, UK refused to join due to new nationalisation
   • 1955 Messina talks - UK observe only
   • 1957 Treaty of Rome, aim to remove all customs duties and create a Common Market
   • Within 5 years, worlds biggest exporter and buyer of raw materials
     • Second only to US in Steel Production

3. British Attitudes

   • Commonwealth connection was 40% of UK exports; cheap lamb and butter from NZ. 800 million market in Commonwealth, Europe only 200m
   • US connection
   • UK different to other nations
   • Reluctant to give up control of economy
     • But concerned that high tariffs would be imposed on UK exports to Europe
   • Helped form European Free Trade Association (Countries outside EEC)
   • Aim to abolish tariffs among themselves

4. Why a change of heart?

   • EEC a success -- French production increased 75%; German 90% UK had risen by 30%
     • UK comparatively worse
   • 1960 -- balance of payments deficit £270million
   • Commonwealth looking to new markets in their regions
   • Suez 1956
   • Stirling Crisis of 1960

5. Macmillan

   • "Our people had spread to other continents... made it a tempting delusion that we cease to be Europeans"
     • War had made UK feel un-European, but it was false

6. Timeline to Rejection

   • July 22 1962 -- Cabinet decision
   • August 2-3 Parliamentary debate, over 100 majority
   • December 15-16, Macmillan de Gaulle discussions
   • January 14 1963, de Gaulle vetoed entry

7. de Gaulle's decision

   • not happy with Polaris, US relationship
   • Belgians and Dutch want UK to join -- counterbalance to Franco-German domination
   • West Germans saw UK as promising market
   • de Gaulle thought UK had too many economic problems
   • Opposed concessions to Commonwealth as drain on Europe; Suez
   • Wanted to dominate Europe

8. Marquand: de Gaulle's veto... inflicted irreparable political damage on Macmillan and his Cabinet

9. Adelman: The year began badly with the rejection... yet most British people were ignorant of and uninterested in European affairs. The veto may have saved Macmillan from further unpopularity

10. Thorpe: [Joining the EEC] was Macmillan's ace, and de Gaulle trumped it.

11. Hennessy: Macmillan could not remember anything worse since Suez