Deepening

Source: CVCE. European NAvigator. Étienne Deschamps.

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Last updated: 08/07/2016

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Deepening

The European Commission decided to give a new impetus to European integration and to speed up the
deepening thereof. It proposed an extension of its powers and responsibilities and the strengthening of the
Community institutions.

Against that background, France suggested an extension of Community cooperation to new areas such as
technology, energy, currencies and transport. Its partners, however, decided not to complicate the
negotiations for accession that had been taking place with Britain and the other applicant countries
(Denmark, Ireland and Norway) since 1970. The Six nevertheless declared their willingness to consider a
method for direct elections to the European Parliament, the foundings of a European University, the reform
of the European Social Fund, the development of technology within the Community and the drawing up of a
new research programme for Euratom.

To give credibility to such deepening, the European partners also decided to entrust a study on monetary
policy to a committee of experts to be chaired by Pierre Werner, Luxembourg’s Prime Minister and Minister
of Finance.

Germany also seized the opportunity to revive the idea of political cooperation which had been put on the
back burner since the Fouchet Plan had been abandoned in 1962 as a result of General de Gaulle’s hostility
to any idea of supranationality. The Six therefore set up a Political Committee, chaired by the Belgian
diplomat, Etienne Davignon, with a view to a report being drawn up into the issues involved in political
unification.

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