In this interview, Edmund Wellenstein, Head of the European Commission delegation for negotiations on enlargement of the European Communities from 1970 to 1973, describes the circumstances surrounding his appointment to this post before going on to explain the position taken by the Commission during the accession negotiations with Denmark, Ireland, Norway and the United Kingdom.

In this interview, Edmund Wellenstein, Head of the European Commission delegation for negotiations on enlargement of the European Communities from 1970 to 1973 and responsible for the free-trade agreements with the other countries in the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), describes the main issues and proceedings of the negotiations with Austria, Switzerland, Portugal, Finland, Sweden and Iceland.

In this interview, Edmund Wellenstein, Head of the European Commission delegation for negotiations on enlargement of the European Communities from 1970 to 1973 and responsible for the free-trade agreements with the other countries in the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), explains the specific difficulties involved in the negotiations with Finland, particularly referring to the nature of its relations with the Soviet Union.

In this interview, Edmund Wellenstein, Head of the European Commission delegation for negotiations on enlargement of the European Communities from 1970 to 1973 and responsible for the free-trade agreements with the other countries in the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), explains the specific difficulties associated with the negotiations with Iceland, particularly raising the question of the definition of fisheries areas.

In this interview, Edmund Wellenstein, Head of the European Commission delegation for negotiations on enlargement of the European Communities from 1970 to 1973, recalls the ceremony held for the signing of the Treaties of Accession to the European Communities of Denmark, Ireland, Norway and the United Kingdom on 22 January 1972 at the Egmont Palace in Brussels.

In this interview, Edmund Wellenstein, Head of the European Commission delegation for negotiations on enlargement of the European Communities from 1970 to 1973, describes the reactions of the Commission and the Norwegian Government to the negative result in the referendum held on 25 September 1972 on the country’s accession to the European Communities.

In this interview, Edmund Wellenstein, Head of the European Commission delegation for negotiations on enlargement of the European Communities from 1970 to 1973, describes the main issues and proceedings of the first meeting in Paris, on 19, 20 and 21 October 1972, of the Heads of State or Government of the future Nine.

In this interview, Edmund Wellenstein, European Commission Director-General for External Relations between 1973 and 1976, describes the impact of the arrival of officials from the new Member States, particularly from the United Kingdom, on the work and general atmosphere at the Commission.