2
as NATO, CENTO, SEATO, ANZUS; then political organisations, OAU, OAS, ASEAN; and finally economic groupings, EEC, EFTA, LAFTA, CARIFTA, the East African Association and others. These are examples of recognition by nations in a shrinking world of the necessity for interdependence. They are also a demonstration of an unwillingness by smaller nations to accept the domination of the world by Super Powers, whether that domination is expressed in conflict, or whether more happily, as in the SALT conversations, it is expressed in dialogue. Smaller nations are beginning increasingly to see the importance of regional groupings of various kinds as the way in which they can best serve their interests in a world in which there are these great giants. A number of Commonwealth countries other than Britain have already seen it to be in their interest to join these groupings, but they still value the Commonwealth Association. Similarly we have decided to apply for membership of the European Communities, whilst still valuing and wanting to preserve the Commonwealth Association. I am not going to go into all the reasons for that decision in detail, but I will emphasise those which bear on our relations with the Commonwealth, with the United States and with the rest of the outside world.
First there is recognition of the fact that an increasingly united Europe will be better placed to speak on equal terms with the United States, with the Soviet Union, in world affairs. As a European country we have got to play our part in building European unity. An enlarged European Community can lead to a Europe expressing its own point of view and exercising influence in world affairs, and also give us an opportunity to increase our own economic strength and our standards of living, because one of the facts that has been apparent in the last 20 years is the growing importance to our industries, particularly our newer industries, of the highly sophisticated market of the European Economic Community. Thus, some 20 years ago, half of British exports went to Commonwealth countries, now it is about a quarter of the total of British exports. Twenty years ago about one-tenth of our exports went to the countries of the European Community, now it is not far short of one-fifth. I do not mean by those figures to decry the importance to us of Commonwealth trade but those figures show the changing pattern of our exports even when we are still outside the EEC tariff.
The other side of the coin is that the increase we would expect in our economic strength and activity, once we are in the European Community, could only help our Commonwealth trading partners. And inside Europe we would play our full part in seeing that Europe is what is called an "outward looking" Community. Europe has a great deal to offer in skills as well as in money by way of assistance to the developing countries. I believe it is being increasingly recognised that closer links between us and the countries of Western Continental Europe does not mean an increasing separation between us and the developing countries of the world. Indeed the effect it will have on our growth of prosperity will enable us to play a larger part in the task of helping developing countries.
In the terms of the developed world and its problems, a Community which was enlarged to include the United Kingdom and the other applicants, a Community which was increasingly unified and increasingly confident, would serve to strengthen the links between Europe and North America. The Prime Minister referred in his speech in New York in January to the need for a joint determination to tackle the pressing urban and social problems of advanced industrial countries, and these are problems which will loom increasingly important between now and the end of the century on both sides of the Atlantic. So very broadly, what we are concerned to do in our application to join the European Economic Communities is to play the part appropriate to us in creating an increasingly united and
+
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.