Britain's Entry into the European Community

In January 1972 Britain signed the Treaty of Acccession to the European Community. Sir Con O'Neill, a key figure in the negotiations, gives an analysis of negotiations which had an impact on Britain's relations with Europe, and insights into the processes of multilateral diplomacy.

Lord Hannay of Chiswick was a British Diplomat for 36 years. Between 1990 and 1995, he was Britain's permanent representative to the UN. Following his retirement from diplomatic service, he was the British Special Representative to Cyprus and a member of the UN Secretary General's High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change.

Part 1: Preliminaries, procedures, organisation, objectives and tactics: from May 1967 to June 1970; the basis of the negotiations; procedure in the negotiations; the character of the negotiations; organisation; information; United Kingdom objectives and tactics. Part 2: The problems of the negotiations and how they were solved: summary and sequence: from the start to the breakthrough: 30 June, 1970 to 23 June, 1971; summary and sequence: from the breakthrough to the end: 29 June 1971 to 22 January, 1972; transitional measures and periods; transitional measures for tariffs and agricultural prices; sugar, and association for developing commonwealth territories: the background; sugar, and association for developing commonwealth territories: the outcome; sterling; New Zealand: the background; New Zealand: negotiations and outcome; community finance: the background; community finance: the struggle; community finance: the outcome; the common commercial policy; the other communities; miscellaneous questions I; miscellaneous questions II; miscellaneous questions III; fisheries: the background; fisheries: the first twelve months; fisheries: the last twelve months. Part 3: Our friends and partners: Section 1: Outside the community: our fellow candidates; others concerned. Section 2: Inside the community: the Commission; the five; France: a general appraisal; the road to the Health-Pompidou Summit. Part 4: Reflections on the negotiations: this time the luck ran our way; did we make mistakes?; did we get a good bargain?