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University of Groningen In pursuit of Influence Harryvan, A. G. IMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to cite from it. Please check the document version below. Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Publication date: 2007 Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database Citation for published version (APA): Harryvan, A. G. (2007). In pursuit of Influence: Aspects of the Netherlands' European policy during the formative years of the European Economic Community, 1952-1973. Florence: European University Institute, Department of History and Civilization. Copyright Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons the number of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum. Download date: 21-05-2019 LMmiAmiUUUUmiTi !:-i : . t 3^.ihiji;^iii Ji 3 hkii(i Hu *':i Department of History and Civilization r-t■.1 ’:;\t t; Hti : :t; t : t ■;! In P ursuit of Influence A spec ts of t h e N e t h e r l a n d s ’ E u r o pe a n P o lic y DURING THE FORMATIVE YEARS OF THE EUROPEAN r:S ;:=i E c o n o m ic C o m m u n it y , 1952-1973 .-if .' it ■is v-i: ,f ; f Anjo G. Harryvan Thesis submitted for assessment with a view to Obtaining the degree of Doctor of History and Civilization of the European University Institute a to- '5 3. • i** Florence, 2 April, 2007 ’i*| ^ i ‘.w uh V y ft^?r » ;w fww>t?yw?;H*? ì w if g f f t jW i .' WWW» European University Institute ISTITUTO UNIVERSITARIO EUROPEO 3 0001 0048 3164 2 1 5 MAR, 2007 BIBLIOTECA EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY 1NSTUTE Department of History and Civilization In Pursuit of Influence Aspects of the Netherlands’ European Policy during the Formative Years of the European Economic Community, 1952-1973 by Anjo G. Harryvan Thesis submitted for assessment with a view to obtaining the degree of Doctor of History and Civilization of the European University Institute Jury Members: Prof. P. Winand (EUI) Prof. B. Strath (EUI) Prof. A. Kersten (University of Leyden) Prof. W. Loth (University of Essen) © 2007, Anjo G. Harryvan No part of this thesis may be copied, reproduced or transmitted without prior permission of the author / V ? \ i ' - S v ¿ p i.7 0^7-5 \- * % - S ^S.sN>--L-— . 'CyS - S l^RSBÜHH A cknowledgments This thesis has been under way for a long time and I am grateful for the help given by many along the road. I am obliged to Bastiaan Aardema, Arda Krediet and Victor van Bentem for their dedicated research assistance and technical support. When Saakje van Dellen offered her help in transforming the typescript into a book she was answering a silent prayer. Saakje, dankjewel voor je hulp door de jaren heen en nu in het bijzonder. I owe a lot to the archivists of the Dutch and Belgian ministerial archives. Their support was indispensable for delivering the piece as a truly primary source based analysis. Mejuffrouw Bruseker, Mr. Robert Bos, Mr. de Hollander and Mr. Stegenga: thank you very much. Sierk Plantinga of the National Archives in The Hague deserves a special mention. Mr. Plantinga took the initiative for founding the Kersten group that enabled me to share and discuss my research results with colleagues from other universities in the Netherlands and Belgium. Tankje wol Sierk. My Nijmegen colleague and friend Jan Willem Brouwer provided feed-back, suggestions, criticism and encouragement for which I am deeply grateful. My friends indeed kept me going. If I make more sense now than in former years, a lot of that is to be attributed to Ate Klein, my socio-political sparring partner for some thirty years, Auke Pieter Jacobs showed me the way in terms of perseverance and making me laugh when I despaired. Joost Jonker was my safe haven, my big brother in troubled times. I thank my wife Margaret and my daughter Maaike for being their delightful selves. My Mother for her love and values and the faith she brought me up with. Ve are the ones making it all worth while. A special word of thanks for Jan van der Harst without whose collegial support and cooperation this book would not have seen the light of day. The latter four chapters of this study all started life as articles we wrote together. Thank you Jan for kindly allowing me to reproduce and expand upon our common research findings. Doing the decent thing may require a lot of courage. On 13 December 2005, my brother in law Mr. Lorcan O’Connell donated a kidney to his sister Margaret, my wife. I dedicate this thesis to him. Thank you Lorcan for mustering that courage. Let us then be up and doing With a heart for any fate Still achieving, still pursuing Leant to labour and to wait. from: A Psalm o f Life, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. V ?f r? f- r??n ! ! !ï !M1 !■ !! "? fmmmmm T a b l e o f c o n t e n t s Acknowledgments V Table of contents VII List of abbreviations XI Introduction: Small States’ Politics, the Netherlands and Engineering Influence 1 Part I: Conceiving the Common Market 17 1 The Beyen plan as the Dutch response to the EPC proposals jg 1.0 Introduction: on Dutch European policy and Benelux, 1945-1952 jg 1.1 Jan Willem Beyen sets off: the Luxembourg resolution 23 1.2 The Beyen plan: pressing for European economic integration 27 1.3 Rethinking the Beyen plan 32 1.4 Intergovernmental deliberations on EPC 41 1.5 Endgame: the backlash of the European Defence Community 4g 1.6 Discussion 31 2 The Netherlands, Benelux, and the Relance Européenne 5 5 2.0 Introduction 33 2.1 Saving Western Europe's defence from the EDC wreck 33 2.2 Patience and defensive reticence 3 g 2.3 New policy formulation in Belgium and Benelux 2.4 Spring 1955: the origins of the new Beyen plan 63 2.5 The Benelux memorandum for a European relaunch -74 2.6 Getting down to the brass tacks at the July 1955 Messina conference gg 2.7 Discussion g4 3 Between example and spectre. The impact of Benelux on the Netherlands’ European policy in the 1950s 7 g 3.0 Introduction g7 3.1 The Benelux Lessons 90 3.1.1 Development of Benelux trade: the ‘elasticity pessimists' versus the ‘Benelux effect' 93 3.1.2 Liberalisation and harmonisation: The role of economic policies 9g 3.1.3 Structural changes and adaptation problems in the Benelux economies 104 VII 3.2 Impact of Benelux experiences on Dutch policies on Europe, 1952-1954 107 3.3 The Benelux factor in the EEC negotiations, 1955-1957 112 The Common Market upgraded, to Dutch delight 113 Failure of Benelux cooperation 118 Institutions, the fight for a supranational community 122 Trade with third countries 125 Benelux experiences in regional economic integration, model and countermodel 126 Enratom: a red herring ? 130 3.4 Discussion 132 Part II: 135 Defending the community 4 Supranationality or Britain? The Netherlands and the Fouchet negotiations 1959-1962 137 4.0 Introduction 137 4.1 The Netherlands’ policy on the De Gaulle proposals 140 4.2 Dutch supranationalism and Atlanticism: some interpretative comments 154 4.3 Discussion 162 5 A successful defence of the communitarian model? The Netherlands and the empty chair crisis 1 63 5.0 Introduction 163 5.1 Agriculture: the motor behind supranationalism? 164 5.2 The Hague and the Commission’s package proposal 166 5.3.1 First phase: an inevitable clash? 170 5.3.2 Phase two: deteriorating relations towards France and a deepening crisis 174 5.3.3 Third phase: France out, Britain in? 175 5.3.4 Fourth phase: retaining unity and calling bluff 178 5.4 Discussion: causes and effects, winners and losers? 182 VIII WWW ’■wwwnumi wi wpurwjtmwuww wm m Swan song or cock crow? The Netherlands and the Hague conference of December 1969 189 Introduction 189 Signs of hope and reappraisals 190 Towards a European summit: passing the Buck and a Triptych Emerging 193 Meeting in the Hague: completion, widening and deepening 198 Discussion 204 Part III: 207 Externalizing Europe Learning interdependence the hard way. The Netherlands, European political co-operation and the first oil crisis 209 Introduction 209 Finding new bearings. The Hague’s views on EPC during the 1960s 209 The Hague summit, the Davignon Report and Dutch views on the EPC machinery 213 A rude awakening, The Netherlands, EPC and the 1973 oil boycott 216 The Netherlands and EPC in the 1970s. A godsend for Dutch cabaret? 220 Discussion 222 A bumpy road to Lomé. The Netherlands’ policy on association and the Yaoundé Treaties, 1956-1969 225 Introduction 225 From Venice to Yaoundé I: association as a price tag on the Common Market 226 From Yaoundé I till Yaoundé II: The Netherlands as an ambivalent partner 233 Extending the Yaoundé preferences to other, non-French-speaking, African countries 235 Avoiding or reducing discrimination vis-à-vis (former) Dutch colonies 239 Reducing the national financial contribution to the European Development Fund (EDF) and providing a level playing field for Dutch firms operating in Africa 242 Discussion 244 Concluding observations 249 Conceiving the Common Market 249 Realising the Beyen Plan 252 Defending the Community 255 IX Externalising Europe , reluctantly 260 Benelux and Small States1