At the meeting of the European Council held on 8 and 9 December 1989 in Strasbourg, the Heads of State or Government of the Twelve approve the principle of the establishment of a European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
At the European Council meeting held in Copenhagen on 21 and 22 June 1993, the Twelve ask the European Commission to draw up a report on a long-term strategy for developing growth, competitiveness and employment. They confirm that Austria, Finland, Sweden and Norway will accede in 1995 and lay down the economic and political criteria for the accession of the associate countries of Central and Eastern Europe to the European Union.
In this interview excerpt, Philippe de Schoutheete, Belgian Permanent Representative to the European Union from 1987 to 1997, analyses the achievements of the European Commission under the presidency of Jacques Delors, someone with whom he worked personally for almost eight years as Belgian Permanent Representative. He also speaks of the mutual respect between Jacques Delors and Margaret Thatcher.
In this interview excerpt, Philippe Maystadt, Belgian Finance Minister from 1988 to 1995 and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and External Trade from 1995 to 1998, explains why the composition of the Delors Committee, set up to examine and propose practical steps for the gradual establishment of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), had a major influence on the outcome of the committee’s work. Chaired by Jacques Delors, President of the European Commission, this committee was composed of the central bank governors and three independent experts.
In this interview excerpt, Niels Thygesen, Adviser to the Governor of the Danmarks Nationalbank from 1973 to 1983, Chairman of the Danish Economic Council from 1983 to 1985 and a member of the Delors Committee set up to study and propose practical steps that would lead to the gradual establishment of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) from 1988 to 1989, describes the balance of power within the Delors Committee, emphasising the role played by the two rapporteurs, Gunter Baer and Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, Jacques Delors, President of the European Commission, Karl-Otto Pöhl, President of the Bundesbank, and Alexandre Lamfalussy, General Manager of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
In this interview excerpt, Niels Thygesen, Adviser to the Governor of the Danmarks Nationalbank from 1973 to 1983, Chairman of the Danish Economic Council from 1983 to 1985 and a member of the Delors Committee set up to study and propose practical steps that would lead to the gradual establishment of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) from 1988 to 1989, discusses the personality and experience of the constituent members of the Delors Committee. As well as Thygesen himself, the committee was composed of the following members: Frans Andriessen, Miguel Boyer, Demetrius J. Chalikias, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, Maurice F. Doyle, Willem F. Duisenberg, Jean Godeaux, Erik Hoffmeyer, Pierre Jaans, Alexandre Lamfalussy, Jacques de Larosière, Robert Leigh-Pemberton, Karl Otto Pöhl, Mariano Rubio and José A.V. Tavares Moreira.
In this interview excerpt, Fabrizio Saccomanni, Head of the Foreign Department at the Bank of Italy from 1984 to 1997, explains how the composition of the Delors Committee, which met from 1988 to 1989 to study and propose practical steps that would lead to the gradual establishment of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), had a major influence on the outcome of its work. The committee, chaired by Jacques Delors, President of the European Commission, was composed of the central bank governors and three independent experts.
The enlargement to the South provided the basis for the adoption of Integrated Mediterranean Programmes (IMPs), instituted by Council Regulation (EEC) No 2088/85 in 1985. IMPs were introduced in response to Greek threats to veto the accession of Portugal and Spain over fears that their membership would be harmful for the Greek economy. The launch phase for IMPs was managed by Grigoris Varfis, Greek Commissioner responsible for Regional Policy in the first Commission chaired by Jacques Delors from 1985 to 1989. In recognition of Greece’s concerns, the European Council held in Brussels in 1985 accepted the IMP scheme to compensate Greece, as well as Italy and France, also potentially affected by the accession of the Iberian countries.
On 2 December 1985, the Portuguese Ministers talk to the future European Commissioner, António Cardoso e Cunha (second on the left). The photo shows (from left to right) the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pedro Pires de Miranda, the Minister for Planning and Territorial Administration, Luís Valente de Oliveira, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Álvaro Barreto, and the State Secretary for European Integration, Vítor Martins.
