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EECfrom Page 1C.June in whxih Spain signed its membership treaty.“You are not joining a mere economic dub, Delors said.lit? culled Lhe Common Marketan enterprise of peace” that aims to consolidate ' Europeanpivil:7.:«Iinr :inri influence lhefuture ol the world.In practice, however, the Com-inun Market suffers from a reputation for bumbling, for engaging in seemingly endless deflates afoul minor mu Iters and doing nothing to recreatethe prosperous Europe of the 19G0S.Adding Spain and Portugal tn the lineup is not likely io change that image. But having brought Britain, Ireland and Denmark into its ranks in 1973 and Greece in L9B1. the Common Market ts accustomed to growing pains.The new enlargement ccmes ns the Coromon Market struggles to close a technological gap with the United Slates and Japan that is threatening to relegate Western Europe to a mere observer of what is teing called the Third Indus .rialRevolution.A bigger Cnminun Market would work to the Europeans' advantage by providing '.heir industries with a wirier launching oad to world markets. Spair and Portugal will add about 50 million consumers to the market.■‘European industry can only compete with the American and Japanese economics by combining' forces and exploiting the advantages o!' an interna) marke. of 320 million inhabitant s, a Common Market executive. Carlo Ripo de Meana of Italy, said recently.But the expansion also could backfire. It could, by adding two new voices to the RFC bureaucracy, cause virtua. paralysis in* a decision-making svsLem thlt;v, already is slow.'The fear ill the Common Market is that unless a streamlined system for making decisions is pul in place soon, the Inability to react quickly is likely 'to speed Europe's decline as an economic power.Already many Europeans doubt the Common Market has the clout to put the region's economy hack on a prosperous track They see nr hear frequent references to the startling fact lhat over the pf.sl 30 years the United States _ has created more than 15 rr. ill ion new jobs while the EEC countries have had no net Increase.Although Europe's high il-percent unemployment rate stabilized in mrj after rising every year since the late 1970s, Common Market economists say it will not fall significantly any time sjoii.The economic policies of the individual governments ore likely to have more effect on Europe's economic performance in the short run than their joint efforts within the Common .Market.Bui longer term prosperity — and hoprs ior attaining Europe’s dream uf unification -is clearlv Jinked to the Common Maitel and its ability to adapt.AI readv some ol the most pro-• lound change in the 2B-ycarhistory of the Common Market is under way, tailored to solve some of the weaknesses that are expected to worsen with Spain and Portugal in the club.Ill a marathon summit nieel-ing in LuKembuurg on Dec. 2 2, (he Common Market heads olgovernment nr state hammered out. a package of amendments to tlie organization's founding charter — the first revisions since the document was signed a generation ago.Chief among them was a proposal to limit the use o( singlenation vetoes of Common Market legislation to remove trade barriers. Under the current system jny one nation can proclaim vital national interests” in shooting down nearly any piece of legislation.lircater use o( majority voting is expeeled to help the Common Market achieve what emerged in 1985 as ils No. 1priority — creating h real common market in which goods and people can move as freely across national trout lets as they do over state lines in Lhe United States.The Luxembourg, summit also proposed writing; jj separateEuropean Political Cooperation Treaty that would coin mil (lie Common Market countries to forrr.ing and applying a common foreign policy. The members already discuss foreign policy issues informally, but the treaty would give these consultations a legal foo.ing.Spain and Portugal have agreed to these proposed changes, but it is not. certain that they ever will be implemented Denmark ai.d Italy Sirvo not yet said yes or no to (he proposals, and iney are subject to approval hy the parliaments of all 12 member countrits.It is even less dear wheLher these steps to transform the Common Market will lead to what would be a truly revolutionary move: to create a European political euliLy. a kind of United States of Europe.Britain, Denmark and Greece prefer not to think about, it. Tliey want a common mnvket in Europe and nothing more. But others, led hy the six founding memhers, contend that Europe never will regain faith in Its future unless its leaders arc willing to take the extra step toward political as well cS economic unity.The problem uf acnommoriat-Ing £pnin and Portugal is likely to preoccupy t.ie EEC’s fenders for most of the rest of this decade, leaving the tougher questioti of poiitieai integration for (lie l9Ws.
Newspaper Details
Panama City News Herald
Panama City, Florida, US
Sun, Jan 12, 1986
Page 75
Full Page
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USA 23 May 2020
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