In RTL radio’s news bulletin of 12 May 1970, Robert Boulay explains how the Six reached agreement on a timetable which will allow negotiations to be opened with the four countries applying for accession to the European Communities: Denmark, Ireland, Norway and the United Kingdom. Pierre Harmel, Belgian Foreign Minister, also explains how the forthcoming reduction in the number of Members of the European Commission from 14 to 9 — which means that his country may now nominate only one Commissioner — should not cause too many problems, despite the multilingual nature of Belgium.

On 30 June 1970, at the opening of the Conference between the European Communities and the candidate countries in Luxembourg, Gaston Thorn, the Luxembourg Minister for Foreign Affairs, delivers a speech in which he stresses the importance for Luxembourg of hosting the first ministerial session on accession negotiations.

On 30 June 1970, at the opening of a conference between the European Communities and the EC applicant countries held in Luxembourg, Pierre Harmel, Belgian Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the Council, delivers a speech in which he highlights the importance of the future negotiations between the Six and Denmark, Ireland, Norway and the United Kingdom.

On 30 June 1970, Jean Rey, President of the Commission of the European Communities, delivers a speech in Luxembourg in which he encourages the Six to ensure the success of the negotiations on the enlargement of the Communities.

On 30 June 1970, the Luxembourg diplomatic Conference opens negotiations on the enlargement of the European Communities. Anthony Barber, UK Government spokesman, outlines to the Council of Ministers the British position towards the common market.

On 30 June 1970, in Luxembourg, a diplomatic conference brings together the Six and the four candidate countries applying for membership of the European Communities (the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark and Norway)

On 30 June 1970, negotiations open in Luxembourg between the Six and the four candidate countries. In its coverage of the event, German daily newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung examines the impact of the United Kingdom's application to join the European Economic Community (EEC).

In June 1970, the magazine of the Dutch European Movement, Nieuw Europa, expresses its satisfaction that negotiations with the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark and Norway on joining the European Communities can finally begin.

In the early 1970s, Denmark, the United Kingdom and Ireland resolutely seek to join the European Economic Community (EEC). The three applicant countries sail together 'towards new shores'.

On 2 April 1968, in response to applications for membership of the European Economic Community (EEC) from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark and Norway, the European Commission delivers its opinion on the practicalities of future enlargement of the EEC.

In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on 11 June 1969, Joseph Luns, Dutch Foreign Minister, states that he is completely in favour of the enlargement of the European Economic Community (EEC).

On 4 July 1969, H. Sigrist, Director-General of External Relations at the European Commission, writes to Gaetano Martino, Commissioner with special responsibility for external relations, setting out the US stance on the enlargement of the European Community.

On 22 July 1969, Maurice Schumann, French Foreign Minister, gives his inaugural address to the Council of Ministers of the European Economic Community (EEC) and asks the Six to define clearly the terms for accession to the Common Market.

On 18 July 1969, H. Sigrist, Director-General of External Relations at the European Commission, writes to Gaetano Martino, European Commissioner with special responsibility for external relations, recalling the general principles to which the enlargement of the European Community should be subject.

In October 1969, the Permanent Representatives Committee (COREPER) of the Member States of the European Economic Community (EEC) gives its views on the opinion delivered by the European Commission on the applications for accession to the European Common Market submitted by Denmark, Ireland, Norway and the United Kingdom.

Table showing the main agricultural products of the United Kingdom, Denmark and Ireland in 1969.

In its July-August 1970 issue, the magazine of the Dutch European Movement, Nieuw Europa, comments on the start of new negotiations for the accession of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark and Norway to the European Communities.

In summer 1971, in an article published in the federalist journal L’Europe en formation, Jean Rey, former President of the Commission of the European Communities, considers the objectives and progress of the accession negotiations of the Six with the four applicant countries and calls for a strengthening of the Community institutions.

In its issue of July and August 1971, the federalist journal L’Europe en formation looks critically at the operation of the Common Market and reproaches the European Communities for being too abstract in the eyes of European citizens.

Overview of the respective positions adopted by the Communities and by the United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland and Norway during the accession negotiations.

On 19 January 1972, the European Commission delivers a favourable opinion in response to applications from the Kingdom of Denmark, Ireland, the Kingdom of Norway and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for membership of the European Communities.

In January 1972, in an article in the Italian journal Affari Esteri, Nicola Catalano, former member of the Italian Delegation to the Drafting Group for the Rome Treaties, explains why the enlargement of the European Communities is an important step towards the establishment of a United States of Europe.

On 21 January 1972, Walter Scheel, West German Foreign Minister, outlines the repercussions of the enlargement of the European Communities on international and Community policy.

On 24 January 1972, the Luxembourg daily Luxemburger Wort details the new economic and political challenges of the enlarged Europe.

On 24 January 1972, the French daily Combat welcomes the new enlargement of the Community, but calls for closer European cooperation in economic, monetary and political matters.

On 24 January 1972, the Italian Communist daily newspaper L'Unità finds fault with the recent European enlargement and criticises the economic, monetary and social weakness of the European Community.

On 24 January 1972, the Belgian daily La Dernière Heure presents a portrait of the new enlarged Europe.

In December 1972, the magazine Europa Union highlights the difficulties that the European Communities will have to face following their enlargement from six to nine Member States.

In this interview, Gaston Thorn, former Luxembourg Foreign Minister, refers to the implications of the United Kingdom's accession to the European Communities and sets out Luxembourg's position on the enlargement of the Communities.

In this interview, Helmut von Verschuer describes the difficult talks on the common agricultural policy (CAP) held during the first negotiations for the enlargement of the European Communities.