Page 639 - 1970S

12
forward should storm clouds gather on
the international financia! scene !
And the barometer is falling !
Biggest Obstacle
The biggest obstacle to accomplishing
this whole effort still remains. It's the
nagging política! question. The hotly
debated issue of how strong a common
political authority must be to success–
fully regulate a vast economic union of
nearly 200 million people is still
unresolved.
France desires as little central.ization
as possible; Germany, the EEC's most
dynamic member, wants stronger central
authority and direction. Therefore, in
the interest of getting the new integra–
tion plan under way, in February the
ministers of these two powers buried
their political differences for the time
being, saying in effect: "We'll cross that
road when we come to it."
The "Enlarged Community' '
The cautious three-stage plan also
increases somewhat the possibility of
British membership in the Common
Market. At least there is no Charles de
Gaulle to prodaim an emphatic "Non"
this time. But there are still many
obstacles. The further the Common
Market progresses, the more difficult it
is for Britain to come in without reser–
vations or insist on long periods of
adjustment, especially in the matter of a
common farro policy. EEC membership
will mean at least a 15% hike in
British food prices !
Sorne experts oow believe that Britain
- along with co-applicants, Norway,
Denmark and Iceland - stands about a
50-50 chance of membership.
Will Europe of The Six becoroe
Europe of The Ten? Will Britain suc–
ceed on this, her third try? The next
severa! months may tell. Will the
benefits to the Common Market of Brit–
ain's advanced technology and world–
wide economic interests be enough to
offset the absorption of the economic
weakness of the "sick man of Europe"?
If her bid is successful, Britain, in
effect, wo,dd be leaving her own "Coro-
The PLAIN TRUTH
mon Market" - the Commonwealth -
and joining someone else's. She would
also abandon Europe's "other Common
Market" - the European Free Trade
Association of which she is the found–
ing and leading member. If Britain
were not pleased with the way things
are going in the Common Market by the
end of 1975, she, along with any other
dissatisfied member, could quit.
In that case Britain would be v•r–
tually isolated - cut off from Europe
and severed from her former Com–
monwealth associates.
But even if Britain, or any of the
other three present applicants, with–
draws or is rejected, the Common Mar–
ket is still destined to grow m
membership.
More Than "The Six"
Most people are totally unaware of
the actual scope and significance of the
Common Market. lt extends far beyond
the borders of The Six. lt is becoming a
world economic empire.
In Africa, virtually all the former
French colonies (plus the offshore
Malagasy Republic) have become
"associated states" of the Common Mar–
ket - 14 members in all. As associates,
their imports to the Market receive vir–
tually duty-free status. They, in turn,
open their economies to preferential
treatment of Common Market industrial
goods.
The former Belgian areas of the
Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi, also
enjoy the same status along with the
Somali Republic, formerly under Jtalian
and British control.
Present British Commonwealth mem–
bers Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya and Tan–
zania have signed additional association
agreements.
In North Africa, Morocco and
Tuoisia penned association pacts with
the EEC in 1969. Algeria is negotiating
for the same status.
And should Britain join, at least nine
additional Commonwealth countries in
Africa would likely become associated
with the community.
But even this is not all .
In the Middle East, Israel has suc–
cessfully negotiated a preferential trade
pact- a sort of semi-association status.
Negotiations for similar arrangements
May 1971
are under way wi th Egypt and lebanon.
( In all negotiations the Common Mar–
ket acts as a single entity. France, for
example, does not conduct talks on her
own.)
The nations of latín America also
are edging close to sorne sort of
arrangement with Brussels. In July
1970, representatives of 22 latín
nations drafted the "Buenos Aires Dec–
laration." It called for top-level talks
with The Six aimed at strengthening
economic, political, social and tech–
nological ties between the two areas.
In Asia, the Japanese are proposing a
three-year stepped-up trade pact with
the Brussels Six. Tokyo is growing wary
of the Common Market's lengthening
string of trade agreements and its
obvious ability to "sew up" markets for
itself. With the chill wind of pro–
tectionism blowing in the U. S. -
Japan's largest export market - Japa–
nese industry would like to open up
new areas. Both Westero Europe and
Japan presently have a maze of restric–
tions against each other's imports.
In Europe itself, there are three asso–
ciate members - Greece, Turkey and
Malta - which are scheduled to
become full members as soon as
their economies are sufficiently devel–
oped. Malta's association agreement was
signed in December of 1970.
Spain, which has inked a preferential
trade pact, is airning at associate status
and ultimately full membership. Neigh–
boring Portugal has also asked for a
preferential trade pact - though for
them membership is but a remote
objective.
Austria would like to become at least
an associate member if it could
only shake loose from the "Big Bear"
- Russia - which retains residual
influence over Austria's foreign affairs
as part of the agreement which saw
Soviet troops leave the country in 1955
and a new Austrian constitution drawn
up. Moscow definitely does not want
another "Anschluss '38" deal between
Austria and Germany, oc a German-led
Western Europe.
Next door to Austria, the Swiss have
made it plain they would like sorne sort
of link wi th Brussels.
Switzerland urgently needs to make