EUROPEAN
ECONOMIC COMMUNITY
EUROPEAN
ATOMIC ENERGY COMMUNITY
COMMISSION
Sixth
GENERAL REPORT
on the
Activities
of the Communities
1972
BRUSSELS - LUXEMBOURG
February 1973
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION: IX
Presentation of the General
Report for 1972 and programme of the Commission for
1973 XI
(Address by Mr François-Xavier Ortoli, President of the
Commission of the
European Communities, to the European Parliament on 13
February 1973)
1972, crucial year XI
Gradual emergence of a European identity XII
Definition of Europe's place in the world XIII
Setting Europe on the road to irreversible union XVII
Concern for the human element and desire for
participation XXVI
An
overall process in the light of an overall vision XXXII
1972, CRUCIAL YEAR
1972 was a crucial year, in the fullest
sense of the word,
in the Community's development. It was
the last year of the
Community of the Six and it saw the
establishment of interim
mechanisms and procedures by which the
applicant States were
associated with the activities of the
Community, so that the
integration of these States which is
now taking place could go
forward smoothly. In fact, the
Community of the Nine was a
political reality in 1972 before it
became a legal reality at the
beginning of 1973.
This political reality of
the enlarged Community found
expression at the
Conference of Heads of State or Government
held in Paris from 19 to 21
October last. The scope of the action
which the conference
envisaged, the variety of spheres which it
opened up to Community
jurisdiction, and the vigorous stimulus
which it gave to the
Community institutions, are a measure of
its success. That success
was to a large extent the result of the
serious manner in which the
Conference was prepared and of
the political will so
strongly expressed; but it was also attributable
to the advances made in
various fields during the preceding
months.
GRADUAL EMERGENCE OF A
EUROPEAN IDENTITY
The intentions and the
commitments set out in the Final
Communiqué
of the Summit Conference must now be turned
into official acts—or
rather into actions. Ever-present in the
minds of those taking part
in the Conference was a concern
to establish a European
identity. In this, they were expressing
a heartfelt desire, shared
by all our peoples, to differentiate
ourselves from the rest of
the world, not only to play our own
role in the world and thus
take Europe's destiny into our own
hands, but also to
formulate and implement the plan for a
civilisation which, to
quote Léon
Blum, would again be human.
If a European identity is
to emerge, Europe's place in the
world must first be
defined. Then Europe must be given a
form of organisation, a
structure which, through the interplay
of economic, monetary,
social, industrial, regional and other
policies, would put it on
the road towards irreversible union.
Finally, all our actions
must be guided by human concern and
a willingness to
participate, precisely because today the main
lines of a new civilisation
need to be laid down.
But before discussing these
three points, I must tell you
how fully, in its first months
of operations, the New Commission
has taken the measure of
the task before it and the
limited time available, and
thus realised that if the work is to
be done properly and
punctually we have to get organised.
This is why we were
determined to lose no time in allocating
responsibilities among the
members of the Commission, drawing
up timetables and
establishing working methods which would
ensure consistency and
speed.
In doing this we took
particular care to retain and develop
the collegiate nature of
our work. We shall make a systematic
effort to ensure that the
need for speed, and the need to allocate
duties in the preparatory
work to those who can best fulfil
them, will in no way
detract from our collegiate responsibility,
which is growing stronger despite
differences of temperament
or opinion. We all have the
same conception of our task, and
share a common team spirit.
Definition
of Europe's place in the world
As regards external
relations, in the next few months the
enlarged Community will
have to assume responsibilities
commensurate with its
weight in the world.
6th GEN. REP. EC
XIV INTRODUCTION
The role played by the Six
vis-à-vis
the outside world was
already a proof of the
'European presence'.
But enlargement, the will
to build up the Europe of the
Nine as expressed in the
Declaration of the Paris Summit, the
awareness throughout the
world of what we represent, give a
new economic and—let us
face the fact—political dimension
to the definition and
conduct of the Community's international
relations. This comes at a time when the
facts of international
political and economic relations to which we have been
accustomed
since the end of the Second World War are undergoing
profound changes. The Community itself is,
of its very nature,
a dynamic force and this,
together with the Community achievements
which cement together the
Europe of the Nine, should
enable it to make an
original contribution, through dialogue
and negotiation, to the
establishment of a new international
economic order.
Concern for the human element
and desire for participation
To speak of a Europe which will serve
mankind is first and
foremost to seek to put into effect a
broad-based social policy
and play an active part in protecting
and improving the environment.
But it also means setting out to make
our peoples
participate, directly and indirectly,
in the work of building
Europe.
The Heads of State and Government
reminded us that
vigorous action in the social field
cannot be dissociated from
the realisation of Economic and
Monetary Union. They also
asked the institutions of the Community
to draw up a programme
of action in the social field by 1
January 1974, having consulted
both sides of industry.
We shall therefore be stepping up our
activities in the
fields of employment and living and
working conditions.
I also measure how difficult it is, with so many
programmes,
dates, technical details, to make our peoples understand
vital
importance for each citizen of work which sometimes lacks
lustre. Alas, very often the impression people have of
our joint
endeavours is not one of imagination, boldness or
political will,
ever though they are the underlying inspiration. It is
here that
the need arises to associate the peoples of Europe in
building
the Community.
CHAPTER II
ENLARGEMENT
AND AGREEMENTS WITH
THE
NON-ACCEDING EFTA COUNTRIES
1.
Entry into force of the accession treaties
Ratification of the Acts of
Accession
6. Ratification
took place during 1972 of the acts relating to the accession to
the European Communities of the Kingdom of Denmark, Ireland
and the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which
were signed at
Brussels on 22 January 1972.1
The Norwegian Government, which had originally signed the
acts on
22 January informed the President of the Council on 9
October that following
the unfavourable result of the advisory referendum held on
25 September 1972
(53.49% against and 46.51% in favour) it would not bring the
Ratification
Bill before the Norwegian Parliament.
The Community of Six
7. In Germany the Ratification Bill was
adopted unanimously by the Bundestag
on 21 May 1972 and by the Bundesrat on 7 July 1972. The vote
in the
Belgian Chamber took place on 7 December 1972 (164 in favour
and 5 against
(communists)) and in the Senate on 29 June 1972 (138 in
favour, one abstention).
In France the referendum on 21 April 1972 (67.86% in favour,
32.14%
against) concluded the ratification procedure. In Italy the
Chamber gave final
approval to the acts on 6 December and the Senate on Tuesday
19 December.
In Luxembourg the Parliament ratified the Acts of Accession
on 17 October
1972 (fifty deputies voted for the ratification and six
(Communists) against).
In the Netherlands the Second Chamber adopted the
Ratification Bill on
1 For
the signature of the Treaties of Accession see the Fifth General Report: Introduction
and Chapter II.
6th GEN. REP. EC
18 ENLARGEMENT AND AGREEMENTS WITH THE NON-ACCEDING
EFTA COUNTRIES
14 September 1972 (unanimously apart
from the Communists, the Socialistpacifists
and one other member). The first Chamber
voted unanimously in
favour on 14 November except for the
three Communist Senators.
Acceding countries
8. In Denmark the
Queen signed the draft Treaty on 11 October 1972 after
the favourable result of the referendum
which had taken place on 2 October
(63.5% in favour, 36.5 against). The
results of the referendum of 10 May 1972
on the amendments to the Irish
Constitution necessary for Ireland's accession
to the Communities were as follows:
83.1% in favour, 16.9% against.
In the United Kingdom the House of
Commons gave the Bill a third
reading on 14 July 1972; the House of
Lords did likewise on 20 September 1972.
The Royal Assent declared to Parliament
on 16 October concluded the ratification
procedure.
Interim period
9. The
"Procedure for the adoption of certain Decisions and new Measures
to be taken during the period preceding
Accession" annexed to the Final
Act of this Negotiating Conference
stipulated that as soon as preparatory
work at Community level, with a view to
the adoption of decisions by the Council,
had produced common guidelines enabling
consultations to be usefully
arranged, such consultations should be
held if an acceding State should make a
reasoned request for them.
In
practice the acceding States have requested consultations on a number
of
subjects, for example economic and monetary union, fixing of agricultural
prices,
guidelines for the negotiations with the EFTA Member States and
Associates
which had not applied for membership and with certain countries
of
the Mediterranean Basin, and directives relating to the approximation of
the
Member States' legislation. The consultations took place within an Interim
Committee composed of representatives
of the Communities and of the acceding
States. The Commission, which took part
in the Committee's work, played an
active role in the development of this
procedure by using its right of initiative to
take into account the existing position
and to assess the different situations
which will arise in the enlarged
Community.
Further, the representatives of the
acceding States were associated as
observers, side by side with the
representatives of the present Member States,
with the work on the negotiation of
agreements with the EFTA countries which
6th GEN. REP. EC
ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE ACCESSION TREATIES 19
have not applied for membership of the Communities, and also
the negotiation
of certain amendments to the preferential agreements
concluded under the
Treaties establishing the European Communities—for example
the agreements
concluded with certain countries in the Mediterranean Basin—and
certain nonpreferential
agreements concluded by the Community which remain in force
after 1 January 1973.
10. As
regards the Commission, any of its proposals and communications
which could lead to decisions by the Council were made known
to the acceding
States as soon as they had been forwarded to the Council.
Moreover when
drawing up its proposals or communications the Commission
took all the
necessary factors into account to judge the effects of those
proposals in the
light of the enlargement of the Community.
Moreover so as to ensure that its own desisions take due
account of the
interests of the acceding States, the Commission has
consulted them before
adopting any decision which might affect them as future
members of the
Community.
In the light of the experience gained since 22 January last,
the procedure
laid down by the Conference may be said to have functioned
to the satisfaction
of all concerned. Moreover, it has given the acceding States
the opportunity
to become familiar gradually with the working of the
Community's institutions.
In this context it must be emphasized that since the
beginning of October 1972
the acceding States have taken part as observers in the
meetings of certain
institutional organs (e.g. special agriculture committee,
agricultural management
committees, customs committees, and Monetary Committee since
24 March 1972).
Adaptation of the acts of the
Institutions
11. In
accordance with Article 30 of the Act of Accession adaptations of the
acts listed in Annex II to that Act were drawn up in
conformity with the guidelines
specified therein and according to the procedure and in the
manner
stipulated in Article 153 of the Act of Accession.
Applicability of the acts of the
Institutions
12. Article
155 of the Act of Accession stipulates that the texts of the acts of
the institutions of the Communities adopted before accession
and drawn up
by the Council or the Commission in the English and Danish
languages shall,
6th GEN. REP. EC
2 0 ENLARGEMENT AND AGREEMENTS WITH THE NON-ACCEDING
EFTA COUNTRIES
from the date of accession, be
authentic under the same conditions as the texts
drawn up in the original four
languages.
The Commission has therefore translated
the texts in question, or revised
them, in collaboration with the British
and Danish authorities and the Secretariat
of the Council.
Adjustment of the instruments
upon non-accession by Norway
13. The Council of
the enlarged Community adopted on 1 January 1973 a
decision adjusting the instruments
concerning the accession of new Member
States to the Communities because
Norway had not deposited its instruments
of accession and had not become a
member of the Communities. The main
adjustments, apart from certain
specific references to the Kingdom of Norway
being declared non-applicable by this
decision, are the following:
Council
(a) The Council is composed of nine
members, one for each country.
(b) Qualified majority with weighting
of votes:
The votes of the members of the Council
are weighted as follows: Germany
10, France 10, Italy 10, United Kingdom
10, Belgium 5, Netherlands 5,
Denmark 3, Ireland 3, Luxembourg 2,
total 58. The qualified majority,
in the case of a decision on a proposal
from the Commission, requires
at least 41 votes. If the Council is
not acting on a proposal from the
Commission, a decision requires 41
votes expressing the approval of at
least 6 members.
Commission
Following another Council decision of 1
January 1973 based on Article 10
of the Treaty establishing a single
Council and a single Commission of the
European Communities, the number of
members of the Commission is 13.
The number of vice-presidents of the
Commission continues to be 5.
European Parliament
The number of the members of the
Parliament becomes 198, broken down
as follows:
Germany 36, France 36, Italy 36, United
Kingdom 36, Belgium 14,
Netherlands 14, Denmark 10, Ireland 10,
Luxembourg 6.
6th GEN. REP. EC
ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE ACCESSION TREATIES 21
Economic and Social Committee
The total number of members of the ESC becomes 144,
distributed as
follows: Germany 24, France 24, Italy 24, United Kingdom 24,
Belgium 12,
Netherlands 12, Denmark 9, Ireland 9, Luxembourg 6.
Court of Justice
The Court of Justice will be composed of nine Judges and
will be assisted
by 4 Advocates-General.
European Investment Bank
The Bank's capital amounts to 2 025 million units of
account. For a
qualified majority of the Board of Directors 12 votes are
required.
Other Committees
The number of members of Euratom's Scientific and Technical
Committee
is to be 27, with 5 members for the United Kingdom, and one
each for
Denmark and Ireland. For the other committees set up by
Community
secondary legislation, the number of members will be adapted
to the
new circumstances of enlargement.
Application of the system of own resources
The financial contributions of the new Member States to the
budget of
the Communities will be as follows:
(i) Denmark
(ii) Ireland
(iii) United Kingdom
2.46%
0.61%
19.32%
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