Basic HTML Version
" EUROPE UNIE"
-
One
Europe
-an increasingly popular
slogan. Here the message is pro–
moted in the form of .an auto
sticker.
stitutions - not through an abrupt at–
tempt to unite them in one fell swoop!
During 1950 "the Six" (france, Ger–
many, ltaly, Belgium, the Netherlands
and Luxembourg) all accepted officially
the Schuman Plan for pooling their coa!
and steel - thus taking the
fir~t
real
step toward integrating these countries.
Britain was invited to join, but de–
clined, saying she would "reluctantly
b~
unable to accept ... a commitment to
pool resources and set up an authority
with certaín sovereign powcrs as a prior
conditíon to joining talks ..."
The Six signcd thc Europcan Coa!
and Steel Compmnity Treaty (ECSC)
on April 18th, l951. By this solemn act,
the parliaments of thc six countries set
up the first European organisation with
federal (or supra-national) character–
istics.
The phenomenal success of this coal–
and-steel venture by the Six countries of
the ECSC encouraged their governments
to make the first real attempt at política!
union in Europe.
The Six Sign Treaty of Rome
In May, 1956, the Six met to consider
drafting two important treaties which
would set up: (
1)
A European eco–
nomic c,ommunity (Common Market)
and (2) A European atomic energy
c~mmunity
(Euratom). And on 25th
March, 1957 the Ministqs of the Six
met in Rome and signcd the Treaty of
Ambouodor
Collogo
Photq
Rome, setting up the Common ''Market
and Euratom!
The Treaty of Rome is the 'legall
document .on which European ecohomic
and política! union is based.
, Since the sígning of that treaty in
1957, the nations of thc Common Mar–
ket countries have come a long way to–
ward
economi~
unity.
But there is still a lot of work to
be
done before Europe will
be
united polit–
ically! Will a United States of Europe,
independeot of either the U. S. or Rus–
sia, be a good thing? Most Westerners
think it will. But Mokow watches the
Uníted $tates
of
Europe movement ner–
vously.
Sbe ís reportedly softening in her at–
titude toward West Germany - now
that a Socialist Chancellor, Herr Willy
Brandt, is at the , helm of the German
Government.
President Pompidou of France is re–
portedly worried over possible Soviet
reactions to the issue of política! unity
of Western Europe. Russia would, quite
understandably,
be
j
ittery .over the
hightmarish spectre of a strong Western
Europe (independent of U. S. re–
straints) ever possessiog its own nuclear
weapons. Soviet Russia can forFsee how
West Germany could use the nuclear
trigger of a United States
óf
Europe as
blackmail - as a bargaining point in
her drive to unite the long-severed two
Germanies.
How .could Russia - faced wíth the
spectre of a militant China to her east,
an encircling American military might,
plus the added threat of a United Eu–
rope - how could she feel secure?
27
How could Russia, under such cir–
cumstances, resist friendly overtures
from Bono- hoping to obtaio a non–
aggression pact (as between Stalin and
Hitler) culminating in a Russo-West
European détente? Moscow-Bonn con–
tacts have already been made.
It will
be
interesting to see the exact
direction which the Common Market
countries wíll take in the years imme–
diately ahead of us.
Will the EEC Accept Britain?
Will BritaiA ever be admitted into the
Common Market? Probably not!
But, if BritaiJ) should finally ob–
tain full membershíp, then one thi ng is
certain. There will later be dis–
illusionment and a disengagement - by
Britons over their ties with the Com–
mon Market.
It is interesting to note that in 1967
about 66 percent of all Britons favoured
Great Britain's entry into the Common
Market - at the time of Britain's sec–
ond bid to enter the Common Market.
Today, about 55 percent of all Britons
are against their country joining the Six.
Why is this?
Undoubtedly, sorne are disillusioned
about the way the SLx, France, in par–
ticular, handled and twice rejected Brit–
ain's bid to enter the Cornmon Market.
Many feel Britain would lose face and
never recover
[
com the disgrace of
being rcjected thc third time. A third
rejection would undoubtedly be the
final snub - more tban British pride
could take!
Furthermore, it is an open secret that
the general cost of living is much higher
in the Common Market countries than
in Britain. Food prices would be sure to
soar (sorne estímate by as much as 70
percent more) should Britain join the
EEC; and there might be a nation-wide
housewives' rcvolt whích could spell
disaster for any British Government
which was in power during such a cru–
cial time.
Also, the Brítish people are fiercely
independent. They doo't like anyone
tclling them what to do without their
having their own say. They are very
democratically minded.
Most Britons now realise they would