Britain and the European Economic Community (EEC) 1950-1960

The EEC: 

• Set up in 1957 by the treaty of Rome. 
• Six members originally - France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. 
• Main motive was to get a Common Market - a trading system between the countries with very few regulations. 
• Protectionist against non members - making non-common market goods uncompetitive by denying them entry or placing tariffs on them. 
• Promoted the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) - poorer areas in the Community were subsidised by a transfer of money from the rich areas. 

Motives behind the six countries in joining the EEC

• Germany's desire was to re-establish itself as a respectable and acceptable nation after the Nazi's. 
• France wanted to control Germany. 
• Benelux countries and Italy saw the opportunity of economic concessions. 

Britain at first had no interest in joining the EEC. Both the Conservatives and Labour parties agreed that they didn't want a foreign group to have power over Britain. So why did attitudes change?

• Compared to all the other countries in the EEC, Britain's economy was doing badly. 
• The success of EFTA (European Free Trade Association - countries included Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Portugal and Denmark) never matched the success of the EEC. 
• The Suez Crisis questioned Britain's status in Europe 
• More Conservative politicians were young and pro-European. They thought it was a good idea to join the EEC. 

Why was Britain rejected? 

• Macmillan had the view that Britain would only join the EEC if the privileges of the Commonwealth and EFTA was satisfied - Britain still wanted to trade with them but being part of the EEC meant that the countries in the Commonwealth and EFTA had to pay premiums. 
• Some EEC members, such as the French President Charles DeGaulle, believed Britain would not fully commit themselves to Europe because of the Commonwealth. However he had other motives too. He wanted to keep France completely independent to the UK and so thought that Britain in the EEC would take some power over the EEC away from France. He also felt that the US may try to influence the EEC through Britain. 

Aftermath: 

• Britain were humiliated - the rejection showed just how weak Britain had become politically as well as economically.