In this interview, José da Silva Lopes, former Portuguese Minister for Finance and Foreign Trade, explains the origins of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the reasons why Portugal preferred to join this organisation when it was established in 1960 rather than accede to the European Economic Community (EEC).

In this interview, José da Silva Lopes, former Minister for Finance and Foreign Trade, outlines the reasons which led Portugal to negotiate a trade agreement with the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1972 and the role played by the United Kingdom in these negotiations.