‘The EC marathon.’ In 1989, the Austrian cartoonist, Ironimus, portrays Austria’s possible accession to the European Communities as an obstacle course.
On 22 June 1989, the French daily newspaper Le Monde refers to the economic and geopolitical difficulties posed by Austria’s application for accession to the European Communities.
On 29 June 1989, Alois Mock, Austrian Foreign Minister, outlines to the Members of the National Council the advantages for Austria of full accession to the European Communities.
On 29 June 1989, the Austrian National Council adopts a resolution which establishes a clear framework for the negotiations for Austria’s accession to the European Communities.
On 14 July 1989, Alois Mock, Austrian Foreign Minister, sends a letter to Roland Dumas, French Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Communities, in which Austria officially submits its application for accession to the European Communities.
On 17 July 1989, in Brussels, Alois Mock, Austrian Foreign Minister, presents Austria’s official application for accession to the European Communities to Roland Dumas, French Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Communities.
‘Everyone is heading for Brussels.' On 15 July 1989, the day after the submission of Austria's application for accession to the European Communities, the cartoonist, Fritz Behrendt, illustrates the snowball effect of Austria's application for accession on all the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEECs).
On 16 February 1990, the Austrian Mission to the European Communities draws up a memorandum in which it places particular emphasis on Austria’s commitment to the ideals of European integration.
On 10 May 1990, in Paris, Manfred Scheich, Director-General for Economic Affairs at the Austrian Foreign Ministry, gives a lecture at the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI) in which he lays particular emphasis on Austria’s strong attachment to Western Europe.
On 4 July 1990, during debates held in the National Council, Karel Smolle, Member of the Austrian Green Alternative Party, criticises the government's European policy for focusing on Austria's accession to the European Communities.
On 28 May 1991, in Vienna, Alois Mock, Austrian Foreign Minister, delivers an address to the National Council in which he argues in favour of Austria’s accession to the European Communities.
On 31 July 1991, the European Commission issues a detailed and favourable opinion on Austria’s application for accession to the European Communities on the basis, in particular, of an assessment of the country’s economic situation.
On 31 July 1991, in Brussels, Frans Andriessen, Vice-President of the Commission of the European Communities with special responsibility for External Relations and Commercial Policy and Cooperation with other European Countries, comments on the opinion delivered by the European Commission on Austria’s application for accession to the Communities.
On 2 August 1991, commenting on the European Commission’s approval of Austria’s application for accession to the European Communities, the Vienna daily newspaper Die Presse outlines the implications of European integration for Austria.
On 14 December 1992, the Austrian Federal Chancellor, Franz Vranitzky, delivers an address to the National Council in Vienna in which he welcomes the decisions taken by the Twelve at the Edinburgh European Council with particular regard to the opening of negotiations for Austria's accession to the European Communities.
On 26 July 1967, Gunnar Lange, Swedish Trade Minister, forwards to the President-in-Office of the Council of the European Communities a letter in which his government requests the opening of accession negotiations with Sweden.
On 26 July 1967, Sweden submits its application for accession to the European Economic Community (EEC). This is accompanied by a memorandum, dated 28 July, in which the Swedish Government states that its policy of neutrality must be acknowledged in the negotiations and that the negotiations must be aligned as closely as possible with those conducted with other Member States of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).
On 10 November 1970, Kjell-Olof Feldt, Swedish Trade Minister, sets out Sweden’s position with regard to European integration and considers its relationship with the European Communities.
In January 1971, Jean-Pierre Gouzy, former member of the Executive Board of the French Movement for the United States of Europe and of the French Union of Federalists, paints an economic, political and social picture of Sweden and gives his views on the country’s new relationship with the European Communities.
On 18 March 1971, the Swedish Government draws up a memorandum on questions relating to a possible cooperation agreement between Sweden and the European Communities.
On 18 June 1971, Kjell-Olof Feldt, Swedish Minister for Trade, issues a press release giving an account of the work that has been carried out by the Swedish Government and the Commission of the European Communities on their form of economic cooperation.
On 29 September 1971, Paolo Cecchini, Head of the Task Force of the Commission of the European Communities for the enlargement of the Communities and chief negotiator for the trade agreements with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), sends a note to Edmond Wellenstein, Head of the Delegation from the Commission of the European Communities to the negotiations on the enlargement of the Communities, in which he outlines the respective positions of Sweden and the Commission with regard to the country’s possible accession to the European Communities.
On 6 September 1971, the Swedish Government sends a memorandum to the Commission of the European Communities in which it outlines the aspects relating to trade and the institutions which need to be clarified on both sides with a view to better economic cooperation between Sweden and the European Communities, while taking into account the country's neutral status.
On 11 November 1971, in Stockholm, the Swedish Prime Minister, Olof Palme, and some Members of the Swedish Government welcome Franco Maria Malfatti, President of the Commission of the European Communities, accompanied by a Commission Delegation for an exchange of views on the terms for Sweden's possible accession to the European Communities.
On 3 November 1971, the Delegation from the Commission to the negotiations on enlargement sets down information to be used in responses to general questions likely to be put to Franco Maria Malfatti, President of the Commission of the European Communities, during his forthcoming official visit to Sweden.
In November 1971, in a report entitled Sweden and European integration, Kjell-Olof Feldt, Swedish Trade Minister, outlines the nature of the economic cooperation with the European Communities envisaged by Sweden, given its neutral status.
In November 1971, in an article published in the French monthly newspaper Le Monde Diplomatique, Kjell-Olof Feldt, Swedish Trade Minister, analyses the nature of relations between Sweden and the European Communities and, given the country’s neutral status, speculates on possible intermediate solutions which would ensure that Sweden participates in the European integration process.
On 22 July 1972, the Swedish Foreign Minister, Krister Wickman, welcomes the signing of the agreement between Sweden and the European Economic Community (EEC) which establishes a basis for closer economic relations.
On 11 December 1990, during a parliamentary debate, Anita Gradin, Swedish Minister for Foreign Trade, gives a detailed description of the government’s European policy and the issues surrounding accession to the European Communities.
On 14 June 1991, during an interview given to Swedish television, Roland Dumas, French Foreign Minister, comments on Sweden’s application for accession to the European Communities.
On 17 June 1991, the French daily newspaper Le Monde comments on the decision taken by Ingvar Carlsson, Social Democrat Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sweden, to submit an official application for his country’s accession to the European Communities.
On 1 July 1991, Ingvar Carlsson, Swedish Prime Minister, sends a letter to Hans van den Broek, Netherlands Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Communities, in which Sweden officially submits its application for accession to the European Economic Community (EEC).
On 1 July 1991, in The Hague, under the benevolent eye of the Netherlands Prime Minister, Ruud Lubbers, the Swedish Prime Minister, Ingvar Carlsson (on the right), submits Sweden's application for accession to the EEC to Hans van den Broek (on the left), Netherlands Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Communities.
On 1 July 1991 in The Hague, Ingvar Carlsson, Swedish Prime Minister, submits Sweden’s application for accession to the EEC to Hans van den Broek, Dutch Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Communities.
On 31 July 1992, the Commission of the European Communities delivers a favourable opinion on the application made by Sweden for accession to the European Union and gives a detailed account of the Swedish economic structure.
On 31 July 1992, at a press conference in Brussels, Frans Andriessen, Vice-President of the Commission of the European Communities with special responsibility for External Relations and Commercial Policy and Cooperation with other European Countries, sets out the favourable opinion delivered by the Commission on Sweden’s application for accession to the Communities.
On 9 March 1992, in an interview with the conservative daily newspaper La Libre Belgique, Margaretha af Ugglas, Swedish Foreign Minister, reports on her country's application for accession to the European Union.
In June 1992, in an article for the monthly legal journal Revue du Marché Commun et de l'Union Européenne, Magnus Lemmel, Director General of the Federation of Swedish Industries, considers the economic consequences of Sweden's possible accession to the European Union.
In June 1992, in an article for the monthly legal journal Revue du Marché Commun et de l’Union Européenne, Ulf Dinkelspiel, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, outlines the importance of European integration for his country.
On 9 August 1992, in an article in the daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, Carl Bildt, Swedish Prime Minister, explains that the recent geopolitical changes in Europe require that Sweden change the course of its security policy in the framework of the European Union.
On 13 November 1991, Carl Bildt, Swedish Prime Minister, outlines the reasons why Sweden had previously opted to remain outside the European Communities. He goes on to explain why, given the new geopolitical order in Europe, these reasons are no longer valid in the early 1990s, and he defends the country’s decision to apply for accession to the Communities.
In an article published in 1988 in the Austrian magazine Europäische Rundschau, Kalevi Sorsa, Finnish Foreign Minister, emphasises his country’s role in Europe and states that the concept of Europe does not boil down to the European Communities alone.
On 11 February 1992, the French daily newspaper Le Monde considers the changes in relations between Russia and Finland during the 20th century and outlines the debate over the possible application for Finnish accession to the European Communities.
On 18 March 1992, Mauno Koivisto, President of the Republic of Finland, and Esko Aho, Finnish Prime Minister, send a letter to João de Deus Pinheiro, Portuguese Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Communities, in which Finland officially submits its application for accession to the European Economic Community (EEC).
On 20 March 1992, the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung comments on Finland's application to join the European Union and describes the attitude of the Finnish political class towards Community structures.
In June 1992, Pertti Salolainen, Finnish Minister for Foreign Trade, outlines in the monthly legal journal Revue du Marché Commun et de l’Union Européenne the economic implications of Finland’s accession to the European Communities.
On 30 July 1992, with a view to Finland’s forthcoming accession to the European Communities, the French daily newspaper Le Figaro profiles the country’s economic situation.
On 4 November 1992, the European Commission delivers a reasoned opinion on Finland's application for accession to the European Communities, basing its analysis, in particular, on areas which are central to the accession negotiations including the policy of neutrality, Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), agriculture, regional policies and foreign and security policy.
On 4 November 1992, at a press conference in Brussels, Frans Andriessen, Vice-President of the Commission of the European Communities with special responsibility for External Relations and Commercial Policy and Cooperation with other European Countries, sets out the favourable opinion delivered by the Commission on Finland’s application for accession to the Communities.
On 5 November 1992, the European Commission (EC) meets in Brussels to discuss the question of Finland’s accession to the European Union. From left to right: Henning Christophers, Vice-President of the EC, Commissioner for the Budget and Administrative Affairs, Jacques Delors, President of the EC, and David Williamson, Secretary-General of the EC.
On 20 May 1992, René Felber and François Couchepin, respectively President and Chancellor of the Swiss Confederation, send to João de Deus Pinheiro, Portuguese Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Communities, a letter in which they officially submit Switzerland’s application for accession to the EEC.
On 11 September 1992, commenting on Norway’s possible application for accession to the European Communities, the French daily newspaper Le Monde outlines the country’s attitude towards European integration.
On 24 November 1992, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Norwegian Prime Minister, sends a letter to Douglas Hurd, British Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Communities, in which Norway officially submits its application for accession to the European Communities.
In 1993, the European Commission delivers a favourable opinion on the application made by Norway for accession to the European Union and analyses the state of the Norwegian economy in terms of the challenge posed by enlargement.
On 15 March 1994, Alain Lamassoure, French Minister Delegate for European Affairs, draws up an initial progress report on the negotiations for Norway’s accession to the European Union.
On 26 April 1994, the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs and Security publishes a report on Norway’s application for accession to the European Union.