On 12 February 1969, Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner with special responsibility for economic and financial affairs, Raymond Barre, presents his plan for European monetary cooperation which highlights the need for joint action at European level.

On 12 February 1969, the European Commission presents a memorandum to the Council on the coordination of economic policies and on monetary cooperation within the Community. The Council adopts the memorandum, known as the Barre Plan, on 17 July 1969.

In this opinion, the Monetary Committee of the European Economic Community welcomes the content of the memorandum from the Commission to the Council of 12 February 1969, which calls for greater economic and monetary cooperation within the Community.

On 10 July 1969, the Committee of Governors of the Central Banks of the Member States of the European Economic Community delivers its opinion on the Barre memorandum of 12 February 1969. The Committee particularly emphasises the coordination of the Member States' economic policies and the possibility of short-term monetary support within the Community.

On 17 July 1969, in Brussels, the Council of Finance Ministers of the Six, represented here by its President, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing of France, adopt the European Commission's Barre Plan for the coordination of economic policies and monetary cooperation at Community level, represented here by Commission President, Jean Rey.

On 18 July 1969, commenting on the meeting of the Finance Ministers of the Six in Brussels, the French daily newspaper Le Monde raises the issue of German opposition to the Barre Plan.

In his editorial of 22 July 1969, Emanuele Gazzo, Editor-in-Chief of Agence Europe, welcomes the Council decision of 17 July 1969 to accept the Commission memorandum (Barre Plan) on the coordination of economic policies and on monetary cooperation between the Six.

In October 1969, the monthly publication 30 jours d'Europe highlights the key measures pertaining to monetary issues set out in the Barre Plan and speculates on the implementation of these measures.

In March 1970, the Committee of Monetary Experts placed, by the European Movement, under the chairmanship of Giordano Dell’Amore, Rector of Milan’s Bocconi University in Milan, answers a series of questions on the economic and monetary unification of Europe.

In November 1970, the British Foreign Office — which is involved in negotiating the conditions for the United Kingdom’s accession to the European Communities — publishes its official reaction to the Barre Plan for the coordination of economic policies and monetary cooperation at Community level.

In this interview, Paul Collowald, former Deputy Spokesman for the European Commission, discusses the work of Raymond Barre, Vice-President of the Commission with special responsibility for Economic and Monetary Affairs from 1967 to 1972.