The External Economic Relations of the EEC PDF
Preview The External Economic Relations of the EEC
The External Economic Relations of the EEC By the same author THE SOCIAL ECONOMY OF FRANCE EUROPEAN MONETARY INTEGRATION (co-author with John R. Presley) THE WORLD MONETARY CRISIS The External Economic Relations of the EEC Peter Coffey Senior Research Fello w and Head of the Economics Section Europa lnstituut, University of Amsterdam © Peter Coffey I 976 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1976 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without pennission First published 1976 by THE MACMILLAN PRESS LTD London and Basingstoke r Associated companies in New ork Dublin Melbourne Johannesburg and Madras ISBN 978-1-349-02711-8 ISBN 978-1-349-02709-5 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-02709-5 This book is sold subject to the standard conditions of the Net Book Agreement Contents List of T abies vu Preface lX Acknowledgements Xlll PART ONE: TOWARDS A COMMON COMMUNITY PERSONALITY I I The Yaounde Agreements 3 2 Eastern Europe 8 3 The Mediterranean I4 4 The Atlantic Problem I 9 PART Two: INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS AND AGREEMENTS 23 5 The Kennedy Round Negotiations 23 6 International Monetary Negotiations 30 7 The Generalised System of Preferences 35 8 The International Monetary Crisis 37 PART THREE: THE ENLARGED COMMUNITY 43 9 EEC and EFTA 43 10 Monetary and Energy Problems I973 46 vi Contents 11 Compensation Agreements 56 12 Energy and Monetary Problems 197 4-5 58 PART FouR: CURRENT INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS AND NEGOTIATIONS 73 13 The Lome Agreement 73 14 The Tokyo Round Negotiations 82 15 Eastern Europe and China 84 Conclusions 89 Appendix: EEC Agreements with Third Countries as of April1974: Tables showing EEC Trade and EEC Natural Resources 97 Index 115 List of Tables EEC imports from African associates 6 2 Trade between the EEC and African associates 6 3 Tariffs: before and after the Kennedy Round 31 4 Gross Reserves of gold and convertible currencies 33 5 Reserves of central banks 53 6 The Discount Rate in different countries 54 Preface Some economists and political scientists, notably GALT UNG, have viewed the European Economic Community as a kind of economic and political superpower. Viner, writing in his famous work, The Customs Union Issue (New York: Carnegie Endow ment for International Peace, I 950 ), made reference (page 57) to the movement which sprang up in Europe towards the end of the nineteenth century for a 'United States of Europe', which had arisen to a large degree from the belief that only through a kind of European economic union could the 'American menace' be dealt with. Viner also made reference to the doctrine of the German historical school of economists which stressed the dis advantageous position of small nations when negotiating sep arately with large superpowers. Certainly, the European Economic Community found its size and unity to have considerable advantages when dealing with the United States during the Kennedy Round negotiations. Also, these qualities together with the trading importance of the Community have encouraged both individual nations as well as groups of countries to sign agreements with the Common Market. During the I g6os the Community started to develop a common personality and to display a considerable degree of unity vis-a-vis third parties. There were a number of reasons for this develop ment. The Common Market was a group of six nations which felt they had to succeed. Certain dynamic effects - outside the basic considerations of trade creation and trade diversion - gave X Preface an impetus to the enthusiasm of the Six. They also had one common interest which united them in one bloc - this was the creation of a common agricultural policy. They were therefore keen to protect this infant child against the incursions of out siders - particularly the United States. In four areas, it was possible to observe the evolution of a distinct Community economic personality. These areas were the attitude to the Third World - as demonstrated by the conclusion of the Yaounde Agreements and the Generalised System of Pref erences, the attitude to Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean and the Kennedy Round negotiations. In the case of Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean, precise recommendations were laid down. For the former, reference was made to Articles I I o-I 6, inclusive, of the Treaty of Rome, whereby at the end of the transitional period the Community would negotiate as a body with Eastern Europe. In the latter case the Commission in September I 972 sent a document to the Council calling for the adoption of a 'global' economic policy towards the Mediterranean countries. On 7 November of the same year the Council accepted this recommendation. It seemed to be much easier to adopt a common economic policy in the case of the Six than in the case of the Nine. Mention has already been made of the role played by the evolution of a common agricultural policy in this field. But individual member states also acted as motors in formulating a common policy. Thus, France desired to link her former African colonies with the Community whilst the Netherlands, Belgium and West Germany were in favour of the adoption of a more open, generalised and generous economic policy towards the Third World. Both France and the Commission strongly insisted upon unity vis-a-vis the Americans during the Kennedy Round negotiations, and here the Community was very successful. In the field of monetary affairs, however, it was much more difficult to adopt a common policy. Frequently, fundamental differences existed between the French on the one hand and the Dutch and West Germans on the other.
The list of books you might like
