In this interview, Catherine Lalumière, former French Junior Minister for European Affairs, describes the stance taken by France and the implications of the final phase, from 1984 to 1985, of the negotiations for the accession of Spain and Portugal to the European Communities.
In this interview, Catherine Lalumière, former French Junior Minister for European Affairs, describes the reservations, particularly among French farmers and politicians, caused in 1984 and 1985 by the prospect of the accession of Spain and Portugal to the European Communities.
In this interview, Catherine Lalumière, former French Junior Minister for European Affairs, describes the stance taken by the Ten on the accession of Spain and Portugal to the European Communities and places particular emphasis on the role played by Giulio Andreotti, Italian Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Communities, during the final phase of negotiations in the first half of 1985.
In this interview, Jean François-Poncet, former Secretary-General of the Presidency of the French Republic and former French Foreign Minister, discusses the issues surrounding the possible accession of Spain and Portugal to the European Communities and the importance of agricultural issues in this matter.
In this interview, Hans-August Lücker, former Co-Chairman of the European Parliament/Spanish Cortes Joint Committee set up to make preparations for Spain's accession to the European Communities, recalls the reluctance of Italy and France to envisage opening the Communities to Spain.
During negotiations on the issue of Spain and Portugal's entry to the European Community, the Greek Prime Minister, Andreas Papandreou, expresses his reservations on the subject.
On 3 July 1977, the Belgian daily newspaper La Libre Belgique reports on a statement made to the media by Jacques Chirac, leader of the French Rally for the Republic party (RPR), on his opposition to Spain’s accession to the European Communities.
In July 1977, the Italian journal Affari Esteri outlines the problems with which Italy will be faced in the event of a future enlargement of the European Communities to include Greece, Portugal and Spain.
On 8 August 1977, before Spain applies for accession to the European Economic Community (EEC), the French weekly magazine L'Express analyses the economic situation in the country and reports on concerns in France and Italy about the Spanish application.
Letter from Emilio Garrigues, Spanish Ambassador to Bonn, to Marcelino Oreja, Spanish Foreign Minister, on the political support shown by the Federal Republic of Germany for the enlargement of the Common Market, despite economic reservations regarding agricultural matters.
On 31 August 1977, a press release published by the Élysée sets out France’s position regarding Spain’s application for accession to the European Communities.
In its September 1977 edition, the French monthly journal 30 jours d’Europe publishes a special report on the forthcoming enlargement of the Community to include Greece, Spain and Portugal, in which it analyses the situation of each country and the implications of their accession to the European Communities.
On 20 September 1977, during the Council of Ministers of the European Economic Community (EEC), Jean Taittinger, French Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, conveys his Government's concerns over Spain's application for accession to the European Communities.
Transcription of the address by the President of the European Commission to the Council of the European Communities on 18 October 1977 regarding the economic problems associated with the enlargement of the Community.
In its 26 October 1977 edition, the Spanish periodical Arriba reports on the statement made by the Mayor of Paris and candidate for the French Presidency, Jacques Chirac, against Spain’s accession to the Common Market.
In an article published on 14 March 1978, the Barcelona newspaper El Correo Catalán reports on the plan of assistance proposed by German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt in a meeting with the British Prime Minister, James Callaghan, to offset the financial burden associated with the enlargement of the European Communities.
In 1978, in a communication to the Council, the Commission of the European Communities presents the main principles of its action programme for the introduction of differentiated transitional periods enabling Greece, Portugal and Spain to adapt to the European acquis communautaire.
On 10 July 1978, Francisco Javier Elorza, Marquis de Nerva and Spanish Ambassador to Paris, reports on the statement made in Salon-de-Provence by Jacques Chirac, Chairman of the French Rally for the Republic party, on Spain’s accession to the Common Market.
Press release issued by the Spanish Ambassador to Paris, Miguel Solano, on 23 August 1978, in reaction to the statement made by the General Secretary of the French Socialist Party, François Mitterrand, on the Europe 1 radio station concerning the enlargement of the Common Market.
On 18 October 1978, reporting on the negotiations for Portuguese accession to the European Communities, the Lisbon daily newspaper Diário de Notícias discusses the problems of the transitional period in respect of agricultural issues and relating to the free movement of workers, services and capital.
Interview with Rodríguez Sahagún, Spanish Minister for Industry and Energy, published in the French newspaper Sud-Ouest on 9 November 1978 on the results obtained by French–Spanish Committee for Industrial Cooperation.
On 14 November 1978, on the eve of the opening of negotiations for Portugal’s accession to the European Communities, the British daily newspaper The Guardian reviews Portugal’s economic situation.
Miguel Solano, Spanish Ambassador to France, informs the Spanish Foreign Minister of the debates held in the French National Assembly on European policy, during which the Spanish accession process and the enlargement of the European Economic Community were discussed.
Miguel Solano, Spanish Ambassador to France, sends a copy to the Spanish Foreign Minister of the report published in February 1979 by SOFRES regarding opinion polls on the image of Spain in France.
Carta del 9 de abril de 1979 de Miguel Solano, Embajador de España en Francia, al Ministro de Asuntos Exteriores de España, a la que adjunta parte de un documento del sindicato francés CGT (Confederación General del Trabajo), de orientación comunista, con sus posiciones acerca de la ampliación de la Comunidad Económica Europea (CEE). La CGT considera que la adhesión de Grecia, España y Portugal a la CEE aumentará los desequilibrios económicos, sociales y regionales y agravará las dificultades sociales y humanas en sectores vulnerables como la agricultura y la industria. Además, aboga por que la extensión del mercado común “debería estar dominado por la colectividad nacional en interés de los trabajadores”, y los intereses de éstos están representados, según la CGT, en la construcción de un nuevo orden económico internacional.
On 28 May 1979, the French Communist daily newspaper L’Humanité outlines the various dangers resulting from a further enlargement of the European Communities to include Greece, Spain and Portugal.
On 21 December 1979, in a long interview given to the daily newspaper La Libre Belgique, the Spanish Foreign Minister, Marcelino Oreja, defends Spain's European and Western vocation.
The Deputy Secretary General of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament submits to the members of his group's Working Group on Regional Questions a document drafted by Thomas von der Vring, Professor at the University of Bremen, on the enlargement of the European Community to the south, focusing on the case of Spain. This document was to form the basis for discussions in the Group's next meeting on 10 October 1980.
Article by José María de Areilza, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, published in the weekly Triunfo on 1 October 1981, regarding the economic obstacles to the negotiations for Spain’s accession to the European Economic Community.
On 26 June 1982, British daily newspaper The Guardian reports on France’s hesitations over the question of Spanish accession to the European Communities.
On 31 July 1982, Charles Haughey, Irish Prime Minister, writes a letter to Gaston Thorn, President of the European Commission, in which he emphasises the significance of a close analysis of the financial and economic impact of the accession of Spain and Portugal to the European Communities.
On 2 August 1982, Wilfried Martens, the Belgian Prime Minister, informs Gaston Thorn, President of the European Commission, of Belgium’s political support for the enlargement process, despite the institutional and budgetary implications thereof.
On 5 August 1982, the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, outlines to Gaston Thorn, President of the European Commission, the United Kingdom’s views on the enlargement of the European Communities to include Spain and Portugal.
On 10 August 1982, the French President, François Mitterrand, outlines to Gaston Thorn, President of the European Commission, France’s opinion on the enlargement of the European Communities to include Spain and Portugal.
On 17 September 1982, the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany informs Gaston Thorn, President of the European Commission, of the problems raised for the European Communities by the accession of Spain and Portugal.
On 25 September 1982, Giovanni Spadolini, President of the Italian Council, forwards a list of problems to Gaston Thorn, President of the European Commission, which must be resolved before the conclusion of negotiations concerning the accession of Spain and Portugal to the European Communities.
In December 1983, the French monthly newspaper Le Monde diplomatique analyses the consequences for French industry of Spain’s accession to the European Communities.
On 22 March 1984, the Madrid daily newspaper El País analyses Spain's position in the negotiations relating to the entry of its agricultural products to the European Common Market.
On 14 March 1985, the European Parliament adopts a resolution on the problems caused by the fisheries policy during the negotiations for the accession of Spain and Portugal to the European Communities.
On 29 March 1985, a political agreement is reached between the ten-strong Community and the two candidate countries, Spain and Portugal, concerning the main issues under discussion: agriculture, fishing, social affairs, own resources, and the government of the Canary Islands.
On 30 March 1985, the day after political agreement was reached between the Community of Ten and the two acceding countries, Spain and Portugal, the French Communist daily newspaper L’Humanité gives a mixed report of the accession negotiations.
On 30 March 1985, the French Communist daily newspaper L’Humanité harshly criticises the accession of Spain and Portugal to the European Economic Community (EEC).
On 13 June 1985, the French newspaper Le Monde examines reactions within the Spanish industrial sector to this country's accession to the European Economic Community (EEC).
On 14 June 1985, the French daily newspaper Le Monde examines the hopes and fears of Portugal on the issue of its accession to the European Economic Community (EEC).
On 9 July 1985, addressing the National Assembly in Lisbon, Ernâni Rodrigues Lopes, Portuguese Finance Minister, outlines the scope of the temporary derogations granted to Portugal as part of the terms for its accession to the European Communities.
In December 1985, in connection with the accession of Spain and Portugal to the European Economic Community, the French periodical La pêche maritime analyses the repercussions of extending fisheries policies to a wider Europe.
On 5 December 1985, the French daily newspaper Le Monde comments on the agreement reached by the Ten two days earlier in Dublin on the reform of the common organisation of the market in wine undertaken so as to facilitate the enlargement of the European Communities to include Spain and Portugal.