The Hague Summit
The Hague Summit
The Hague Summit
TextTowards the Hague Summit
Note from the Political Directorate in the Luxembourg Foreign Ministry (1 October 1969)
TextOn 1 October 1969, with reference to the Hague Summit, the Political Directorate in the Luxembourg Foreign Ministry sends to the Foreign Minister, Gaston Thorn, a note in which it analyses the European policies of the Six.
Memorandum from the Italian Embassy to the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs (14 October 1969)
TextOn 14 October 1969, the Italian Embassy in Luxembourg sends a memorandum to the Luxembourg Foreign Ministry in which it lists the issues to be addressed at the forthcoming European Summit in The Hague.
‘Towards the European Summit: (1) Perfunctory preparation which must not be a pretext for hiding a possible failure', from Europe
TextIn his editorial of 3 November 1969, Emanuele Gazzo, Editor-in-Chief of Agence Europe, ponders on the chances that the European Summit in The Hague will give a clear signal concerning, in particular, the possible opening of negotiations on the United Kingdom’s accession to the Common Market.
‘Towards the European Summit: (2) The legal value of certain commitments’, from Europe
TextIn his editorial of 4 November 1969, Emanuele Gazzo, Editor-in-Chief of Agence Europe, describes the implications of the decisions on completion to be taken at the European Summit in The Hague on 1 and 2 December 1969, with particular regard to the financial arrangement for agriculture.
‘Towards the European Summit: (3) Financial arrangements without dogmatism', from Europe
TextIn his editorial of 5 November 1969, commenting on the impact of the European Summit to be held in The Hague on 1 and 2 December 1969, Emanuele Gazzo, Editor-in-Chief of Agence Europe, reiterates the urgent need for arrangement to be agreed for the financing of the common agricultural policy (CAP) and outlines the political link between the completion and the enlargement of the European Communities.
‘Towards the European Summit: (4) From institutions to policy’, from Europe
TextIn his editorial of 6 November 1969, commenting on the political impact of the European Summit to be held in The Hague on 1 and 2 December 1969, Emanuele Gazzo, Editor-in-Chief of Agence Europe, calls for the strengthening of the institutional structure of the Communities.
Interview with Victor Bodson: Europe before the Hague Summit (CLT, 9 November 1969)
Audio extractOn 9 November 1969, one month prior to the opening of the Hague Summit, Victor Bodson, Luxembourg Member of the European Commission, outlines the implications of the meeting of the Heads of State or Government of the Six.
Aide-memoire from the Commission to the Hague Summit (19 November 1969)
TextOn 19 November 1969, the aide-mémoire drawn up by the European Commission for the Hague Conference sheds light on the stakes involved in the forthcoming European summit.
‘Let’s get blowing’ from The Guardian (24 November 1969)
TextOn 24 November 1969, the British daily newspaper The Guardian publishes an ironic article referring to the Hague Summit held on 1 and 2 December. It refers to the failures of EC enlargement and also the consequences of the United Kingdom’s accession for British citizens and for their identity.
Letter from Willy Brandt to Georges Pompidou (Bonn, 27 November 1969)
TextOn 27 November 1969, in an effort to maintain close cooperation with France, Willy Brandt, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), informs the French President, Georges Pompidou, of his plans a few days before the opening of the Hague Summit, due to be held on 1 and 2 December.
'Europe relaunched at The Hague' from Corriere della Sera (30 November 1969)
TextOn 30 November 1969, the day before the Hague Summit, the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera ponders on the real chances of bringing about a revival of European integration and lists the issues awaiting consideration by the Heads of State or Government of the Six.
Interview with Egon Bahr (Metz, 10 June 2006) — Excerpt: the relationship between Willy Brandt and Georges Pompidou
VideoIn this interview, Egon Bahr, former Junior Minister to the German Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt, describes the relationship between the German Chancellor and the French President, Georges Pompidou.
The Hague Summit (1-2 December 1969)
Giorgio Bombassei Frascani de Vettor, Joseph Luns, Aldo Moro à leur arrivée au sommet de La Haye (Décembre 1969)
ImageEn décembre 1969, en vue du sommet de La Haye, Joseph Luns, ministre néerlandais des Affaires étrangères (1er plan à gauche) et Giorgio Bombassei Frascani de Vettor, ambassadeur d'Italie aux Pays-Bas, accueillent le ministre italien des Affaires étrangères Aldo Moro (au centre) à sa descente d'avion.
Opening address by Piet De Jong (The Hague, 1 December 1969)
TextOn 1 December 1969, meeting in the historic ‘Knight’s Hall’ of the Binnenhof in The Hague, the Heads of State or Government of the Six listen to the opening address of the Summit, delivered by the Netherlands Prime Minister, Piet de Jong.
Statement by Georges Pompidou (The Hague, 1 December 1969)
TextOn 1 December 1969, in The Hague, the French President, Georges Pompidou, suggests to his European colleagues that they continue with the completion, deepening and enlargement of the European Economic Community (EEC).
Statement made by Willy Brandt at the Hague Summit (1 December 1969)
TextOn 1 December 1969, at the opening of the Hague European Summit, the German Chancellor, Willy Brandt, emphasises the importance and the implications of an enlargement of the European Communities and sets out his ideas on the deepening of the European integration process.
Address given by Mariano Rumor at the Hague Summit (1 December 1969)
TextOn 1 December 1969, at the Hague European Summit, the Italian Prime Minister, Mariano Rumor, emphasises the political need for enhanced cooperation between the Member States of the European Communities.
Statement by Pierre Werner ( The Hague, 1 December 1969)
TextAt the opening of the Hague Summit, the Luxembourg Prime Minister, Pierre Werner, emphasises his country’s concerns regarding the new Community developments.
Summary report of the debates at the Hague Summit (The Hague, 1-2 December 1969)
TextOn 1 and 2 December 1969, the Heads of State or Government of the Six meet in The Hague in order to revive the process of European integration.
Statement by Jean Rey on an economic and monetary union (The Hague, 2 December 1969)
VideoOn 2 December 1969, at the conclusion of European Summit at The Hague, Jean Rey, President of the European Commission, indicates the resolve of the Six gradually to establish an economic and monetary union.
Final communiqué of the Hague Summit (2 December 1969)
TextOn 2 December 1969, in the Final Communiqué from the Hague Summit, the Heads of State or Government of the Six declare their determination to pursue the aim of the unification of Europe and to strengthen the European Communities.
Statement given by Georges Pompidou to ORTF (2 December 1969)
TextOn 2 December 1969, the French President, Georges Pompidou, grants an interview to the French Organisation of Radio and Television (ORTF) in which he sums up the outcome of the Hague European Summit.
Europe's fate hangs in the balance at The Hague (Philippe Heyman's Chronical, RTL, 2 December 1969)
Audio extractOn 2 December 1969, the second day of the Hague Summit, Philippe Heyman, RTL journalist, reviews the possibility of the United Kingdom’s accession to the European Communities and the evolution of the European Communities since the end of the Second World War.
After the address by Mr Georges Pompidou', from Europe (16 December 1969)
TextIn his editorial of 16 December 1969, Emanuele Gazzo, Editor-in-Chief of Agence Europe, comments on the political impact of the televised address given by the French President, Georges Pompidou, on the future of European integration.
The Hague Summit (1-2 December 1969)
Negotiations of the Six at The Hague (1 and 2 December 1969)
ImageOn 1 and 2 December 1969, the Heads of State or Government of the Six meet in The Hague in an attempt to break the stalemate reached within the European Communities.
Relaunch of European integration at The Hague (1 and 2 December 1969)
ImageOn 1 December 1969, on the occasion of the Hague Summit, the Heads of State or Government of the Six pose for the traditional group photo. In the first row (from left to right): Mariano Rumor, Willy Brandt, Georges Pompidou, Piet de Jonck, Gaston Eyskens, Jacques Chaban-Delmas and Pierre Werner. In the second row (from left to right): Aldo Moro, Gaston Thorn, Maurice Schumann, Pierre Harmel, Joseph Luns and Walter Scheel.
Disruptions at the Hague Summit (1 and 2 December 1969)
ImageOn the sidelines of the European Summit in The Hague on 1 and 2 December 1969, a number of students from Brussels, led by Cornelis Berkhouwer, Dutch President of the Liberal Group at the European Parliament, hold a demonstration in support of an effective relaunch of European integration.
The Hague Summit (1 and 2 December 1969)
VideoOn 1 and 2 December 1969, on the initiative of the French President, Georges Pompidou, the Heads of State or Government of the Six meet in The Hague in order to define the methods of reviving the European integration process.
Issues raised at the Hague Conference, by Jean Ferniot (RTL, 10 November 1969)
Audio extractOn 10 November 1969, in a broadcast on RTL, the journalist Jean Ferniot considers the issues to be raised at the European Summit, due to take place on 1 and 2 December in The Hague.
Demonstrations on the fringes of the Hague Summit (1 and 2 December 1969)
ImageA large number of mass demonstrations were held on 1 and 2 December 1969 on the fringes of the Hague Summit.
Interview with Paul Collowald (Sanem, 28 June 2002) — Excerpt: the Hague Summit, December 1969
VideoIn this interview, Paul Collowald, former Deputy Spokesman for the European Commission, describes the proceedings at and the implications of the European Summit held in The Hague on 1 and 2 December 1969.
Interview with Gaston Thorn: the Hague Summit (Luxembourg, 6 February 2006)
Audio extractIn this interview, Gaston Thorn, former Luxembourg Foreign Minister, refers to the atmosphere and the difficulties surrounding the Hague European Summit held on 1 and 2 December 1969.
Interview with Étienne Davignon (Brussels, 11 December 2007) — Excerpt: the issues involved in the Hague Summit
VideoIn this interview, Étienne Davignon, former Director-General for Policy in the Belgian Foreign Ministry, outlines the issues involved in the Hague Summit, held on 1 and 2 December 1969 in the Dutch capital and attended by the the Heads of State or Government of the six Member States of the European Communities.
Reactions
Cartoon by Murschetz on the Hague Summit (2 December 1969)
Image‘Aerobatics’. On 2 December 1969, commenting on the opening of the European summit in the Hague, the German cartoonist, Murschetz, speculates about the ability of the Six to get the European unification process under way.
Statement by Willy Brandt to the Bundestag on the European summit at The Hague (3 December 1969)
TextOn 3 December 1969, in a speech to the Bundestag, German Chancellor Willy Brandt gives an initial overview of the decisions adopted by the Six the previous day at the end of the Hague European Summit.
Interview with Pierre Werner: Europe after the Hague Summit (CLT, 3 December 1969)
Audio extractOn 3 December 1969, the day after the Hague Summit, the Luxembourg Prime Minister, Pierre Werner, gives his impression of how the talks went.
Interview with Gaston Thorn: Europe after the Hague Summit (CLT, 3 December 1969)
Audio extractOn 3 December 1969, the day after the meeting of the Heads of State or Government of the Six in The Hague, the Luxembourg Foreign Minister, Gaston Thorn, speaks of his satisfaction at the political outcome.
Statement by Pierre Werner to the Chamber of Deputies (Luxembourg, 4 December 1969)
TextOn 4 December 1969, Pierre Werner, Luxembourg Prime Minister, makes a statement before the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies on the decisions taken and the political guidelines adopted by the Six two days earlier, at the end of the European Summit in The Hague.
‘A kick start for Europe’ from La Libre Belgique (4 December 1969)
TextOn 4 December 1969, the Belgian daily newspaper La Libre Belgique carries out a positive review of the European summit of the Six held in The Hague and hopes for a rapid revival of the European integration process.
'After The Hague', from Luxemburger Wort (4 December 1969)
TextOn 4 December 1969, the Luxembourg daily newspaper Luxemburger Wort is pleased with the Six’s determination to revive European integration, as shown at the end of the Hague Summit two days earlier, and sets out the issues that the European Community will have to tackle in the future.
'A compromise', from Le Monde (4 December 1969)
TextOn 4 December 1969, the French daily newspaper Le Monde emphasises the joint efforts of the German Chancellor, Willy Brandt, and the French President, Georges Pompidou, to make the European Summit in The Hague a diplomatic success.
‘Europe — the following day’, from Süddeutsche Zeitung
TextOn 4 December 1969, the German daily newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung takes a cautious stance on the decisions adopted by the Six two days earlier, at the end of the European Summit in The Hague.
‘A new beginning’ from Le Figaro (4 December 1969)
TextOn 4 December 1969, in the French daily newspaper Le Figaro, the reporter, Roger Massip, describes the Hague European Summit as a new beginning for European integration, likening it to the Messina Conference which, in June 1955, allowed European integration to be revived.
‘New confidence in Europe’ from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (4 December 1969)
TextOn 4 December 1969, following the Hague European Summit, the German daily newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung emphasises the newly found confidence of the Heads of State or Government of the Six to move forward towards economic union and towards the enlargement of the European Communities.
Interview with Jean Monnet: the outcome of the Hague Summit (RTL, 5 December 1969)
Audio extractAfter two days at the Hague Summit of 1 and 2 December 1969, the Six agree to open negotiations with the four applicant countries: Denmark, Ireland, Norway and the United Kingdom. Jean Monnet, President of the Action Committee for the United States of Europe, expresses his satisfaction.
‘Mr Wilson says "Have a go"' from The Guardian (5 December 1969)
TextOn 5 December 1969, three days after the end of the European Summit in The Hague, the British daily newspaper The Guardian highlights the problems encountered during negotiations on the first enlargement of the European Communities, which arose, in particular, from the difficulties experienced in finding a compromise between the protection of national interests and the need for a strong, centralised European power.
Cartoon by Geisen on the Hague summit (1969)
Image‘The sun’. In 1969, the cartoonist, Hans Geisen, represents the European summit in The Hague as a new beginning for European integration.
Address by Jean Rey to the European Parliament (11 December 1969)
TextOn 11 December 1969, Jean Rey, President of the European Commission, presents to the European Parliament the results achieved at the end of the European Summit in The Hague.
Raymond Barre, Prospects for European integration after The Hague (14 January 1970)
TextOn 14 January 1970, Raymond Barre, Vice-President of the European Commission, gives an address to the French Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Brussels in which he calls for the strengthening of the European integration process.
Reactions
‘Europe after The Hague and Brussels’ from Affari Esteri (January 1970)
TextIn January 1970, Marcello Gilmozzi, Director of the Italian daily newspaper Il Popolo, assesses the two European Summits held in The Hague and Brussels. The author considers that the accession of the United Kingdom to the European Communities gives Europe an economic and social dimension which goes beyond the scope of a customs union.