EUROPE83

In this issue •..

West Midlands puts its best foot forward. By Roy Stemman 3 Published by the Commission ofth e European Communities, 8 Storey's Gate, Do the Ten really want the European Parliamentto work? By Dick Leonard 6 LondonSWlP3AT. How it looks from the floor. By Michael Welsh MEP 7 Tel: 01-222 8122 Editor-in-Chief: George Scott Who owns the VenusdeMilo?By LouisRonze 8 Editor: John Greenwood Why the European cinemaisfacinga crisis. By Rose Doyle 10 Associate Editor: Denis Thomas Design: Lawrence Edwards LaurensJ an Brinkhorst on Europe's relations with} a pan 11 Printed by Lawrence-Allen Ltd, Sociai Fundhitsanewhigh 12 Weston-super-Mare, Avon Environment black list 12 Europe 83 does not necessarily reflect, in all particulars, the opinions of the Community A single Euro-currency: only a dream? By Ferdinando Riccardi l3 institutions. Unsigned material may be quoted or reprinted without payment, Are women in Europe getting a fair break? By Adeline Baumann 14 subject to suitable acknowledgement. Community reports 16 Belfast Office: Windsor House, 9/ 15 Bedford Street, Belfast BT2 7EG Questions in the House 18 Tel. (0232) 240708 CardiffOffice: 4 Cathedral Road, A tap on the Eurobarometer 18 CardiffCFI 9SG Tel. (0222) 371631 When Britain was part ofEurope. By Jack Waterman 20 Edinburgh Office: 7 Alva Street, EdinburgbEH24PH Simon Bolivar: tribute to a liberator 23 Tel. (031) 225 2058 Letters 23 Associated editions: Europe, 2100 M Street, NW, What's in the papers 24 Suite 707, Washington DC 20037, USA Tel. 202 8629500 EUROFORUM is inset after page 12. Cover: from the Parthenon Frieze (BM) Europe, 350Sparks Street, Suite 1110, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K IR 7S8. Tel. (613) :1.38·6464 CommunilyRepon, 39 Moleswonh Street, Dublin 2, Ireland Tel. 712244 30Joursd'Europe, 61 rue des Belles Feuilles, 75782 ParisCedex 16, France. Tel. 501 58 85 Comuni1il Europee, Via Poli 29, 00187 Rome, Iraly. Tel. 678 97 22 EF-avisen H11ibrohus, 0stergade 61, PostBox 144, 1004CopenhagenK, Denmark. Tell44140/14 55 32 EGMagazin, Zitelmannstrasse22, 5300 Bonn, W. Germany Tel.238041 Comunidad~ropea, Serrano, 41-5 a planta Madrid· I,Spain Tel.4741199 Europaiki Koino1is, 2 Vassilissis Sofias, T.K . 1602, Athens 134, Greece We've moved to Westminster Tel. 743 982/3/4 Europa-berich1, EUR info, The London Office of the Commission ofthe European Communities has Archimedesstraat 73, moved from its Kensington Palace Gardens address to 1040 Brusscl, Belgium Tel. 2354178 8 Storey's Gate Eclwsdel'Europe, B~timeot Jean Moonet, London SW1P 3AT Luxembourg-Kirchberg Tel. 43011 01-2228122 A vrupa T oplulutu, I 3 Bogaz Sokak Kavaklidere, Ankara, Turkey We would be grateful ifyou would amend your records accordingly. Tel.276145 EUROPE83

though it is the second largest city in ------~ 0~ England, and situated at the heart z ::::> of an industrial region with a rich 8 Aheritage - the West Midlands - Birmingham seems to have a low profile. In the next few months, however, that will 0~ u change dramatically- with the start ofa con­ (/) certed promotional campaign by the region, 0z aimed very largely at Europe. < ~ The event around which the campaign will 0 be built is the opening of Birmingham Inter­ :e national Airport's £60 million terminal, in !;; May next year. This project, developed by the ~ West Midlands County Council, has received >- a £2 million loan from the European Invest­ ment Bank (ElB ) at preferential interest rates. ~ It will almost double the airport's passenger 8 handling capabilities. >­ ll:l The enlarged airport will be operational by (/) spring 1984. By a happy coincidence, Birm­ ingham's National Exhibition Centre arena ~ will be the venue, at the same time, for the first ~ Rotary International Convention to be held in this country for over 50 years. Estimates suggest that 20,000 Rotarians and their wives will be arriving in the West Midlands that month from all over the world, giving the region an exciting opportunity to sell itself - industrially, commercially, and from a tourist standpoint-to an international audience. West Midlands 'Expo '84' is the response. From 26 May to 3 June next year, coinciding with the airport's opening and the start of the Rotarians' convention, the region's county council is mounting a major exhibition of its industry and commerce, also at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC). Speaking at the launch of 'Expo '84' in June, Councillor Gordon Morgan, leader of West Midlands County Council, said the deci­ West Midlands puts its sion to sponsor such an event stemmed from 'the exciting prospect that world-wide atten­ tion will be focused on the West Midlands to best foot forward an extent never before experienced in the re­ gion's history.' A third ofthe NEC's exhibition space-over The traditional workshop of Britain, centred on 2,000 square metres - has already been re­ Birmingham, is making a bid for new business-helped served by leading West Midlands companies, such as Austin Rover, Talbot, Jaguar, GEC, by a £2 million loan from the European Investment Bank. GKN, IMI, Tube Investments Group and ROY STEMMAN has been to see what it's all about Bass, Mitchells & Butlers. Participants will be expected to display only British-made goods. West Midlands 'Expo '84' will be open to and the new airport terminal. That will mean Maglev will provide a smooth and quiet ride, the general public over the Spring Bank Holi­ for many the opportunity to sample a remark­ around the clock. day weekend (26-28 May), and there will be able piece ofBritish technology-the 'Maglev' ln deciding to provide the Maglev link, trade visitor days and special Rotarian open transit system which will link British Rail's West Midlands County Council was influ­ days. Birmingham International station, alongside enced by a desire to make what it calls the first During the public open days, a joint ticket the NEC, with the airport. essential step towards selling an alternative will give visitors access to both the exhibition 'Maglev' is an abbreviation of magnetic transit system in the international market levitation. Passengers will be carric!d, up to 32 place. Someone, it says, had to take practical at a time, in cars gliding along an elevated steps to get a British project under way. track. They will be driven by a linear-induc­ Birmingham Airport serves central Eng­ 'Someone had to tion motor, using frictionless magnetic sus­ land, and has seen a marked increase in pas­ take the steps to get pension instead ofconventional wheels. sengers in recent years. Holiday tours, busi­ The 600-metre journey between airport ter­ ness travel- particularly to EEC destinations a British proiect minal and railway station will take 90 seconds. -and special charters have all contributed to under way' The longest wait for a car - travelling on two this growth in activity, as has the opening of independent parallel tracks- will be two mi­ theNEC. nutes. Becauseoftheabsenceofmovingparts, Passenger flow has grown from 700,000 in ~ 3 EUROPE83 1970 to 1.6 million in 1979, despite the world­ turing, mechanical and electrical engineering 'A £297,000 grant from wide recession in travel. Birmingham Airport and vehicles. anticipates handling 1. 9 million passengers by Although it is not a major steel producer, Europe helped build 1985, and expects the growth to continue the West Midlands has one of the highest re­ an industrial estate' through to 2. 7 million in 1990. rolling facilities in the country - which is The present terminal is now working at where the severest redundancies have occur­ capacity. Congestion is inevitable in peak red. times, and there is no room to expand further. A considerable amount of money has come After a public inquiry in 1979, the Govern­ from the European Coal and Steel Commun­ twice the national average. As the region's ment agreed to the county council's proposals ity (ECSC), in the form of grants to assist in black spot it was given intermediate status - for a new passenger terminal, and is making a payments to redundant coal and steel work­ which was removed in August 1982 with the contribution to the substantial costs involved. ers, and to help in their re-employment in Government's new regional policy. The new terminal will be a three-storey other industries. Nearly £1 !lz million, for ex­ During the period of qualification, how­ structure which will give passengers access to ample, went to the 605 workers affected by the ever, it was given a £297,000 ERDF grant for their flights through island piers and adjust­ cutback at the Round Oak Steel Mills at Brier­ the development ofa 28-acre industrial estate. able passenger bridges. Having to walk across ly Hill. And the same amount was shared out An additional £39,578 grant enabled the the apron to waiting aircraft, in all weather among other companies in the West Mid­ county authority to build three advance fac­ conditions- which is what Birmingham Air­ lands, in the same allocation, whose workers tories. These moves have done much to bring port users have had to do until now - will be a (from seven to 212) were similarly affected by Oswestry more in line with the national job­ thing of the past. the recession. less average. The terminal will be able to handle nearly The ECSC has also given grants to a variety Without direct EEC aid to create new em­ three million passengers and 33,000 aircraft of research projects in the region, some of ployment, but with a strong determination to movememsa year. Just as important, from the which are taking place at Birmingham's As ton maintain the West Midlands' historical and West Midlands' viewpoint, is that the new ter­ University. It has also given a £2 million loan present standing as the industrial and com­ minal will create 2,000 new jobs by the late to Danks Engineering towards the extension mercial heartland of Britain, the region is 1980s, at the airport itself and in associated ofits boiler manufacturing facility at Dudley, looking at other ways of stimulating its eco­ hotel and transport services. In addition, of creating about 380 new jobs. nomy. course, iris likely to provide a further stimulus Only Oswestry, a Welsh border town in the One possibility is the creation of a Duty to employment in the region. north-west of the region, has received finan­ Free Zone (DFZ) or Freeport at Birmingham The need for such a stimulus is unques­ cial aid from Europe under ERDF. In the late Airport. It was the efforts of West Midlands tioned. As C. H . Perry, memberofWestMid­ 1960s, following the closure of a mine and rail authorities which made a major contribution lands Regional Council, CBI, pointed out at headquarters, its unemployment rate was to persuading the Government to accept the the launch of Expo: 'Over a long period, the area has suffered from the decline of its older industries, and also from an inability to anract new industries in the face ofGovernment dis­ crimination in favour of the other regions.' Because it is not an assisted area, the West Midlands has not attracted aid from the Euro­ pean Regional Development Fund (ERDF) which is dependent on such a Government designation. Yet it has suffered considerably from the effects of the recession, and in par­ ticular from the decline in manufacturing in­ dustry. The area was the centre ofthe Industrial Re­ volution which made Britain the 'workshop of the world'. The availability of raw materials, such as coal, ironstone, fireclay and lime­ stone, provided the basis for massive indust­ rial development in Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country in the 19th cemury. Much of this vast expansion was of metal­ based industry. In more recem times, the West Midlands has become a centre for car production. In the past few years, the region has experi­ enced the fastest growing unemployment rate in the UK- the April1983 figure was 17 per cent. Between 1979and 1982, lOO,OOOpeople were made redundant in the West Midlands. Nine out of every ten were in metal manufac-

"'The Euro~ean Coal and Steel Community has also given grants'

Magnetic levitation - Maglev- willlink Birmingham's railway station with the airport. 4 EUROPE83 principle of Freeports (which have worked very successfully in other countries) for the UK. Following the Budget announcement on Freeports in March this year, West Midlands County Council has prepared a persuasive case for siting a Freeport at Birmingham Air­ port and is one ofthe first regions to submit its argument. It asks for an experimental zone to be established inside a boundary at the air­ port. Goods imported into this Freeport are not subjected to tariffs, duties or regulations ofthe host country until they actually leave the zone. The advantages are many - among them being a bener cash flow for companies using imported raw materials, because they do not pay duty unless, or until, they leave the zone in manufactured form. There is also a consider­ able reduction and simplification of Customs procedures and paperwork. However, as the West Midlands'submis­ sion points out: 'Unrestricted operation of a DFZ/Freeport in the UK is not currently possible within existing EEC Regulations. Under Community legislation, there is the re­ quirement to pre.serve parity in the customs facilities offered at a DFZ/Freeport and those generally available elsewhere in the EEC which precludes tariff concessions specific to DFZs being made available. [I

'Under Community law there is a requirement for customs parity'

What that means is that Freeports in the UK would be able to store and process certain goods but not manufacture them. It calJs for changes in regulations to enable manufactur­ ing to occur 'and create greater freedom in trading opportunities world-wide.' It would be easy to think of the West Mid­ lands only in industrial terms; but its origins are agricultural. It was probably through making implements for the land that Birming­ ham's famous association with metal began. For 800 years the city ofBirmingham has held Market stalls still abound in Birmingham's modern shopping precinct. markets ofone kind or another, and stalJs still abound close to the modern Bull Ring shop­ ducts under one roof is probably unique and a tre has many ties with the agricultural com­ ping precinct, the site of the original market vast 21-acre hall was built in phases, in the munity of the EEC and is the home of the place. Dominating the scene, however, is the mid-1970s, to house the new markets. Royal Show in the summer. Its livestock de­ vast Birmingham Wholesale Market, consi­ Mr Mitchell takes pride in the fact that monstration units and other buildings were dered by many to be the best in Europe. Birmingham Wholesale Market was the first built with the help ofa £285,000 EEC grant. ItservesnotonlyBirmingham'sonemillion UK project to receive an EEC agricultural It was at Kenilworth in} uly, speaking at the population but also the two million inhabi­ grant following our membership in 1973. He opening of the Royal Show, that the new tants of the rest of the region. The cosmopoli­ steered the application through-and received Minister of Agriculture, Michael Jopling, cal­ tan nature of the region is reflected in the £11.4 million from Brussels. That represents led foraction to curb the costs ofthe European exotic produce which is flown or shipped in just less than a quarter of the total agricultural Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): 'You everyday. aid that has been made available from the EEC just can't go on producing more and more food Colin Mitchell, general manager of the City for agricultural projects in the West Mid­ that you can neither eat nor sell abroad.' of Birmingham's Markets Department, had lands' five counties. While the politicians are grappling with the job ofreplacing the old markets with mod­ One of the recipients of Community aid has CAP, the West Midlands is understandably ern premises capable of handling the daily in­ been the National Agricultural Centre at pleased with its plans to stimulate the eco­ put and output of meat, fish, poultry, fruit, Stoneleigh, near Kenilworth. This interna­ nomy with its £60 million scheme. [I vegetables and flowers. Having all these pro- tional research, breeding and exhibition cen- 5 EUROPE83 Do the Ten really want the European Parliament to work?

ith 434 members, the European Next May, citizens of the the first time in Brussels for a special session to Parliament has one fewer than debate the problems of Europe's 12 million the United States House of European Community will unemployed. Despite fierce resistance, from WRepresentati ves, and 216 fewer be going to the polls to elect Frenchmen and Luxembourgers in particu­ than the House of Commons at lar, there is bound to be sustained pressure Wesbninster. Beyond that, any meaningful their representatives in the from other members of Parliament to make resemblance comes to an end. European Parliament. How Brussels their permanent home. So far, the For one thing, its debates are held in seven does the Parliament Governments of the ten member states have different languages - English, French, Ger­ _always shied away from such a decision. man, Italian, Dutch, Danish and Greek-and measure up? DICK Partly this has been in deference to French every word spoken is simultaneously inter­ LEONARD, chief Brussels governments, which have invested much preted into the other six. Members and spec­ money and more national pride in providing tators who want to follow what is going on, correspondent of The Strasbourg as a meeting place. But the suspi· have to wear earphones, which greatly in­ Economist offers a personal cion lingers that the governments may actual­ hibits the cut and thrust that enlivens debates assessment ly prefer a less effective Parliament wandering in some national parliaments. from place to place rather than a more pur­ Furthermore, the Parliament has no home poseful body based in the city where Europe's tocallitsown. Untill981,aboutone-thirdof decisions are made. National ministers want its plenary sessions were held in Luxem­ ity'smaindecision-makingbodies-theCoun­ to keep their own hands firmly on the levers of bourg, and the remainder in Strasbourg, cil ofMiniste rs and the Commission-hold the power and do not want to share them with the where it borrows the chamber ofthe21-nation great bulk of their meetings. representatives of Europe's 200 million CouncilofEurope. Since July 1981 the mem­ The life ofan MEP is therefore highly peri­ voters. bers have decided not to meet in Luxembourg patetic. He rotates round a six-point circuit, This is apparent from the meagre powers any more, but almost all of the Parliament's comprising his home, his electoral district, his which the European Parliament has been allo­ secretariat is still based in that city. The Par­ national capital, Strasbourg, Luxembourg, cated. There are basically four. First, to reject liament's committees, however, normally and Brussels. On 26 and 27 April this year, the annual budget-by a two-thirds majority­ meet in Brussels, where both the Cornmun- history was made when the Parliament met for and to amend the 'non-obligatory' part of it.

6 EUROPE83 'National ministers Socialists, with 124 members-the only group question during the remainder of 1983 is with members from all ten member states. whether members of the European Parlia­ want to keep their There is, however, a right-of-centre majority ment will attempt to use their other 'nuclear hands firmly on the in the Parliament, made up of 117 Christian weapon' - sacking the Commission. They are Democrats, 63 Conservatives, 39 Liberals, sorely tempted to do so in the run-up to the levers of power' and 22 Progressive Democrats (mainly elections in order to draw attention to them­ French Gaullists). selves. Otherwise, they fear that public in­ There are also 48 Communists and 25 terest in the election will be low, and that few This comprises about 30 percent of the others. Despite the right-wing majority, the people will bother to vote. budget, but;10ne of the farm-support spend­ President of the Parliament is a Dutch Social­ Commission President Gaston Thorn and ing. Second, to dismiss alll4 members of the ist, Piet Dankert. He owes his position to the his fellow Commissioners are currently bend­ Commission, again by a two-thirds majority. outstanding tactical skill which he showed in ing over backward to placate the Parliament. Commissioners cannot be sacked individual­ leading the fight against national Govern­ But unless the MEPs can find a cast-iron issue ly. Third, to be consulted before Community ments over the annual budget. on which to censure the Commission, they laws (regulations, directives, decisions) can The second Europe-wide election for the may well find that such a move would blow up be made. And fourth, to receive reports from Parliament will be held in June 1984. The big in their own faces. [I the Commission and the Council of Ministers and to direct questions to these two bodies (2,877 questions were put last year). The European Parliament is not the law­ making body of the European Community. . .. and how it looks from the That role is played by the Council of Minis­ ters, representing the Governments of the floor, by Euro-MP Michael Welsh member states. This might have been accept­ able to members of the European Parliament before 1979, when the first direct elections took place. Previously, the Parliament, which y Euro-MP may table a written will eventually give rise to a parliamentary re­ started life in 19S2as the 78-memberassembly question under rule 46 ofth e rules port. of the European Coal and Steel Community, of procedure. Questions are Much depends on the skill with which ques­ was very much a part-timeaffair. Its members Apublished in the Parliamentary tions are drafted. MEPs need to have a clear all held seats in national parliaments and were Bulletin , and should normally be answered idea of the nature of the answer sought, and a delegated to go offfor a few weeks each year to within two months of their being received reasonable mastery of the detail of the subject. Strasbourg or Luxembourg to monitor the by the Commission or three months in the Questions which are declaratory, or based on work ofthe Commission. The directly-elected case of questions put to the Council. inaccurate information or assumptions, are members of the European Parliament, Answers when they become available are quite useless. It is essential for questions to be however, are meant to be full-timers and they sent direct to the member and drafted so as to produce constructive answers. bitterly resent the peripheral role they are cal­ subsequently published in the Official The Commission, if approached correctly, led upon to play. Journal. Selected questions are also can be very helpful, and frequently uses writ· It is hardly surprising, therefore, that they published in magazines like British ten questions to highlight aspects of its own have seized every opportunity to try and prise Business and EUROPE 83. policy and concerns. It has made a significant more power away from the miserly grasp of The effectiveness ofquestions depends to a contribution to the development o(..written the Council of Ministers. Twice - in Decem­ large extent on the willingness of the other in­ questions as a useful institutional device. ber 1979 and in December 1982- they have stitutions to provide an answer. Answers to But question time in Strasbourg is not as ex­ turned down Community budgets and have council questions have to be approved by rep­ citing as at Westminster. Simultaneous trans­ used the resulting embarrassment of minis­ resentatives of all the member states, and thus lation robs the exchanges of spontaneity, and ters as a lever for extending their own budget­ tend to be anodyne and unhelpful. Written frequently the commissioner replying is not ary influence beyond that actually laid down questions to the Commission, however, can personally responsible for the subject matter in the Treaty of Rome. prove extremely effective in eliciting informa· of the discussion. We have yet to develop a They have also been helped by a ruling of tion on Community activities, elucidating style of oral questioning suited to the special the Community Court of} ustice that no Com­ Commission policy or simply calling attention circumstances of the European Parliament. munity law was valid unless the Parliament to a particular issue which needs to be investi­ Even so, the procedure has its uses, and on one had previously given its 'purely advisory' gated or debated. occasion MEPs were able to harry one of the opinion on the draft. A perusal of the Official Journal can turn up Commissioners into undertaking to consult By threatening to withhold an opinion extremely helpful statistics on such matters as Parliament before submitting its mandate to when ministers are anxious to legislate, the steel quotas, regional fund disbursements, the Council for the multifibre negotiations, members of the European Parliament are able and comparativepricesoffo,od products. Are­ thus ensuring that we were fully engaged in to increase their influence on particular occa­ cent issue contained a very c\ear statement of the development of the Community's nego­ sions of their choosing. the Commission's position on the amend­ tiating stance. T he parliament sits in six political group­ ments to the block exemption for exclusive MEPs also use parliamentary questions to ings, which are formed on ideological rather purchasing and distribution contracts. ensure that the Commission responds to the than national lines. The largest group is the · On the rules ofo rigin, questions have esta b­ needs of indu:;try and commerce and that lished a clear ruling that member states are not Community regulations are practicable, con­ entitled to require certificates of origin for structive and observed. 'Will the MEPs attempt goods in free circulation. This ruling has The Commission is a remarkably open to use their "nuclear proved particularly helpful to firms which bureaucracy. Provided we receive clear, de­ weapon" -sacking have run into trouble with their export docu­ tailed briefings from industry on the practical mentation. problems they encounter, a great deal can be the Commission?' MEPs have also used a stream of written done to put them right. questions to establish the essential illogicality of the origin rules, a series of anomalies that 0 Acknowledgements to British Business. 7 EUROPE83 Who owns the VenusdeMilo?

LOUIS RONZE looks at the 1799, Turkey was confronted with the French rights and wrongs ofthe invasion of its Egyptian province and sought the support of Great Britain. In 1803, Lord argurnoentforreturning Elgin began to have part of the Parthenon works of art, now in frieze removed and crated at his own expense, but in the middle ofthis task he was recalled to European museums, to their London. It was only ten years later that he suc­ original locations ceeded in having his treasures transported to Britain. Strangely enough, the only protests at the time came not from the Greeks, who were re­ ith historical upheavals, and the duced to silenee under the domination of the changing fortunes of war, works Sultan, but from an Englishman, the ardent of art have changed hands many graecophile Lord Byron. H e accused Lord WtUnesover the centuries,often in Elgin of being a vandal, of seeking to enrich dubious circumstances. Should they now himself at the expense of the Greeks, and of be returned to their country of origin, or misusing his diplomatic status to accept pre­ would this compromise the cultural uility of sents from the Turks. Nevertheless, it must the European Community? be admitted that, in 1803,therewasnothingto A few months ago, three Greek MEPs put suggest that these masterpieces would have forward a motion for a resolution calling on been safe from possible destruction ifthey had Britain to return the Elgin Marbles, which in­ been left in situ. For in 1687 the Parthenon, clude a large part of the frieze from the Parth­ which at the time had been transformed into a enon. This collection is now kept in the British mosque, had already been seriously damaged Museum in London. by a Venetian bombardment, when the gun­ The motion put by Mr Ephemerides, Mr powder stored in the sanctuary blew up. After Adamou and Mr Alvanos was not accepted by the explosion, the Turkish administration the European Parliament, which did not dis­ contented itselfwith patching up a small mos­ cuss the matter. However, this does not mean que in the ruins. that the problem does not exist- witness the The quarrel between these two English present reluctance of the Louvre to lend the peers eventually led to a parliamentary com­ Venus de Milo for a temporary exhibition in mittee being set up to look into the affair. This Athens. The fear is that pressure of public 'Parts of the committee cleared Lord Elgi_n of any blame, opinion might prevent the organisers of the but nevertheless recommended that the gov­ exhibition from being able to return this mas­ Parthenon are to be ernment should purchase the collection and terpiece to Paris. found in the Louvre' present it to the nation. Thiswasdonein 1816. The Greek members' resolution may have Lord Elgin received £35,000, much less than failed, but it raised the general question of the the expenses he had incurred, and the 'mar­ return of certain masterpieces such as paint­ this convention, aimed in particular at exclud­ bles' were lodged in the British Museum. ings, statues, and even entire buildings, ing any possibility of later revocation of its re­ The case of these famous works of art is by which have left their country of origin, often trospective effect'. This veiled allusion is the no means unique. Certain parts of the Parth­ in questionable circumstances. In a Europe only reference to possible demands for restitu­ enon decorations are to be found, for example, now at peace with itself, this presents a possi­ tion. in the Louvre, where they are kept, along with ble cause of strife which, unless measures are Again, a recent meeting ofMinisters ofCul­ the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of taken to avert it, could embitter cultural rela­ ture in Mexico emphasised in careful terms Samothrace. tions. the advantages of replacing important exam­ The Greek MEPs asked for the return ofthe This is the last thing we need. However, the ples in their authentic environment. In their frieze because it is part of the Greek national matter is so complex and obscure that, until motion, the three Greek MEPs referred speci­ heritage. Today, almost all countries attach now, all countries which ha ye had to consider fically to this text. great importance to the conservation of this the problem have been content to deal with it Before going any further, let us consider sort of heritage, which is not limited to works case by case. Admittedly, the Council of these famous Elgin Marbles. In 1799, Tho­ of art alone, as was shown by the recent dis­ Europe and UNESCO have urged effective mas, seventh Earl of Elgin and eleventh of pute between FranceandAlgeriaabout there­ protection of the artistic heritage against Kincardine, was appointed British ambassa­ cords of the former North African deparce­ theft; but 'restitution' has remained practical­ dor to the Sublime Gate of Constantinople. A ments. ly a taboo subject. great lover ofclassical Greek art, he asked for, For the Greek MEPs, the removal of the The European Commission, for its part, and obtained, permission from the Turkish Parthenon frieze constituted an 'illegal act' of has recommended ratification ofa convention authorities to make notes ofthe works ofart on spoilation, since the Greeks, being reduced to adopted by the UNESCO conference in 1970 the Acropolis in Athens, Soon, he went one impotence under the Ottoman regime, were dealing with 'measures to forbid and prevent step further and asked for permission to ex­ not able to oppose it, as they would un­ illegal import, export or transfer of cultural port some of these works of art. At that time, doubtedly have done thirty years later, when assets'. However, in its communication of 22 the Ottoman Empire was totally disinterested they had won their independence. But what November 1977 to the Council of Ministers, in Greek art, and Lord Elgin's request was exactly constitutes 'spoilation'? Lord Elgin the Commission stated that 'certain reserva­ granted. bad not broken any law, and had obtained all tions could be attached to the ratification of Doubtless, politics also played a role. In the necessary permissions. 8 EUROPE83

This is not the case with many other master­ pieces taken, for example, by the victors in time of war; although it may be wondered whether a concession which is confirmed in a peace treaty cannot be legally contested. It was in this manner that, after the defeat of Napoleon, France was forced to return the quadriga from the top of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and the four bronze horses taken from outside St. Mark's in Venice. However, this latter case, which is far from being clear-cut, underlines all the ambiguity involved in a systematic policyof'restitution' , since the Venetians themselves stole the horses from Constantinople when it was sack­ ed by the crusaders in 1204. Could the Turks now ask for them to be returned to Istanbul? These horses, however, have nothing to do with Turkish civilization: they belong to the hellenistic art of the third century BC. In that case, could they be claimed by Greece? If, on the other hand, the Venetians are considered to be the legitimate owners, it is necessary to determine how much time must elapse before possession gives title, otherwise Egypt could very well demand the return of sculptures Headless but priceless: a figure from the east pediment of the Parthenon, part of taken to Italy under the Emperor Hadrian to Lord Elgin's consignment, which has been lodged in the British Museum since 1816. decorate his villa near Tivoli. The question is far from being simply theoretical, since the given work of art will attain its greatest influ­ 'Claims which often Louvre, for example, is now filled with works ence if it is kept in its place of origin. The of art taken by Napoleon from various Euro­ splendid Benin bronzes, for example, only conceal motives of pean countries and which did not form part of came to be known after the town was pillaged financial gain' those returned in 1815. by the British in 1897; and the influence which Apart from the purely legal aspect of the black African art exerted on European art problem there are other questions, the most would have been much less if the babuka sta­ Metz of the famous equestrian statue ofChar­ important of which is the role that countries tues ofZaire or the dogon masks had remained lemagne, now kept in the Louvre, by reason of assign to their national heritage. It could be where they were, where at the time there were its being a work of art in the Mosan style, said that the national heritage serves to rein­ no facilities for displaying them. which owes nothing to the art of the Ile-de­ force the identity and greatness of the com­ This has not prevented Nigeria from de­ France. munity which created it. Secondly, this herit­ manding the return ofcertain objects, such as One last factor to be taken into account age now also serves to attract tourists, and is the famous ivory mask, the symbol of the when considering the return of works of art is thus of considerable economic importance-a Lagos festival of black African art, which is that their authenticity is only of relative im­ fact which is less often admitted. still kept in London. Neither has it prevented portance. Reproduction techniques, whether However, it is by no means certain that any Zaire from demanding the return ofthe better for paintings, sculptures or buildings,arenow part of the contents of the famous African so advanced that the advocates of restitution museum in Tervueren, near Brussels. and of the right ofpossession could well be sa­ The question becomes even more compli­ tisfied by having copies distributed. The pro­ lfhe horses of St cated inside the European Community, which tests of those who demand the return of the Mark's have nothing also aspires to be a community of culture. original can well be imagined. Attention has been drawn to this aspect of the And yet, from force ofnecessity, custodians to do with Turkey's Community on several occasions by summit often do not scruple to take great liberties with civilisation' conferences of heads of state and government the authenticity of works of art which visitors leaders-a fact which has almost been forgot­ often come great distances to see in their 'au­ ten. Thus the final declaration ofthe 1972 con­ thentic' setting. The millions of tourists who ference, held in the Hague, emphasised that come to admire the sculptor Duqesnoy's Europe is a 'unique nurture ground ofculture' 'Mannekin Pis' are seemingly unaware that and that it must be safeguarded. the little chap they see there is only the seventh In Copenhagen in 1972, another declara­ or eighth copy of the long-since-vanished ori­ tion on European identity stated that culture ginal which was stolen, as were subsequent is one of the basic elements of the Commun­ copies. ity's identity. The different countries of the Again at the Acropolis in Athens, the Community are thankfully not hermetically caryatids of the Erechtheum are also copies; sealed cultural compartments but a con­ but this fact does not in any way reduce the tinuum in time and space. To give but one ex­ admiration ofvisitors, whomaybeunawareof ample, a large part ofEuropean art has drawn it. What are we to make of all this? The most its inspiration directly from Greece. Greek important conclusion is that the present dis­ worksofartarethuspartofourcommonherit­ persion of works ofart across the Community age; and are equally well at home in Paris or in must not serve as a pretext for renewed London, Rome or Berlin. If this were not the chauvinistic claims for their return, which case, demands could be made for the return to often conceal motives offinancial gain. [I 9 EUROPE83

and helping member states to improve the dis­ tribution of European films and also by creat­ Why the European ing a distribution system powerful enough to compete on equal terms with the major Amer­ ican companies. cinema is facing a crisis The report calls for a reversal of the famous dictum of And re Malraux- 'The cinema is an industry, but it is also an art'. It is also con­ ever before have films been so ROSE DOYLE reports on cerned about the decline in short films, feeling popular in Europe. All the that all films, as part of the Community's indications are that people's the dilemma of a once­ cultural heritage, should be afforded the same N• passion for movies is growing-but prosperous branch ofthe protection as other features of our collective also that today's audiences prefer to watch heritage. them at home. Now, it is the small square entertainment industry, in Television offers no salvation. The film in­ screen oftelevision , not the silver screen of its fight against powerful­ dustry's earnings from the new markets which the cinema, that holds sway. and popular-rivals the medium has opened up are derisory, since T here is another, not so obvious, change the cost ofpurchasing a film for a TV network too. Europe's once-discerning cinemagoing represents, on average, no more than 3 per public has become less so, and a lot less cent of its production cost-while the rate for addicted to European films. Apart from the Again, the development of television has one minute's advertising is generally enough huge TV audience, even the larger cinemas in meant that the decline in the number of to cover the fee for broadcasting an entire film. Europe are today dominated by American cinema-goers over the last 25 years has varied Films on TV come cheaper for everyone, it films. from 57 to 91 per cent throughout the member seems. The most unhappy change of all is that the states. On the other hand, if TV paid more for film industry in Europe is facing its most se­ The report, for which French MEP Mme films, the excessive numbers broadcast would rious economic crisis ever. A report from the Marie-Jane Pruvot acted as rapporteur, offers diminish (the broadcast rights for one film are European Parliament's Committee on youth, these facts, along with advice for saving the in­ between nine and 25 times less than an eq uiva­ culture, education, information and sport, dustry. It points to the disastrous effect the lent production whose costs are met by TV). dealing with the promotion of film-making in crisis is having in social terms (on employ­ The report reveals the 'overwhelming the Community countries, has come up with ment, the standard of living, and all categories domination' by the American film industry in some depressing statistics. of workers in the film industry) as well as in Europe, with its two-fold advantage. Apart It reports that the American film industry cultural terms, since it jeopardises the future from the benefit of getting the lion's share of now takes an overall47 per cent share of the of a medium for the cultural expression ofev­ the market, there is also the insidious influ­ main European markets ofltaly, France, the ery European nation. ence on the culture of Europe. In the reces­ UK and Germany. This leaves 51 per cent to It warns that time is runningout: it will soon sional early thirties, times not unlike today, Europe's film leaders, and 2 per cent to share be too late to restore the cinema to its former US President Hoover bluntly stated the value, between the other six Community countries. pre-eminent position as popular entertain­ economic and cultural, of cinematic domi­ So less than half the market goes to a single in­ ment, unless the Community begins to deal nance: 'Where the American film penetrates dustry, which makes the Community the best with 'anti-competitive' practices by the the market, we sell more American auto­ foreign market for American films. American film industry, both by permitting mobiles, more basebalJ caps and more Amer­ ican phonographs.' The European Commission has already taken steps towards promoting the Commun­ itys' film industry in preparing, along with the national television authorities, a series of TV programmes which will present the cinema of each member country to the public in others. This is not enough, the report feels. A Euro­ pean Film Festival is needed- on the Com­ munity's initiative, and with its support, it should include aid for the distribution indus­ try itself. There is a warning, too, that the abolition of national aid would amount to the complete disappearance of the European film industry. The Community is urged to take a closer look at the truly non-competitive practices on the part ofthe 'majors', which have led to the clo­ sure of so many local cinemas and turned smaller conurbations into public wildernes­ ses, as well as alienating the cinema from its public. There are also words about the dan­ gers developing from the rapid movement of cable and satellite TV and video cassettes, as welJ as pirate recordings. The report's final plea is for the Community to show both realism and sensitivity- to build 'the Europe of the Treaty of Rome without destroying the c.inema-which is one ramifica­ American films now take a 47 per cent share of the main European markets. tionoftheEuropeofCulture'. [I 10 EUROPE83 'The rules of the game have been imposed on Japan by the Western countries ... '

Do you think Japan will ha'Ve to 'throttle back' Europe's spokesman in on imports, then that is also true. However, on its exports to prevent the EEC countries from that does not mean to say that Japanese reverting to protectionism? Japan, Laurens )an markets are equally accessible to European BRINKHORST: I think theEECmustconducta Brinkhorst, answers industry. double policy towards Japan. Firstly, it I will give you an example. In Japan, there should try to maintain those industries which questions on how he sees are no company takeovers in order to achieve are essential for its own future, for example trade relations developing economies of scale. the machine-tool industry, by encouraging between the Community and The reason for this is that labour relations cooperation with Japan. And secondly, it are so strong that employees feel themselves should be made clear to the Japanese that they its most formidable bound to the company for life. In return for will have to show a certain amount ofrestraint competitor this loyalty, in principle they have a guaran­ in their exports ifthey wish to prevent such an teed opportunity for employment. When you imbalance arising that national protectionism have such an individual company structure, will take hold and they will finally be driven then it is very difficult to accept any sudden from the market as a whole. change of management, or to have another company merged with your own so that the Does it amount to asking the Japanese to punish whole management structure is altered. themsel'Ves for their own successful industrial and economic development? Does this mean that the closed nature of No, that would be a false picture. What is Japanese society is reflected in the structure of necessary is to call upon enlightened self-in­ companies? terest and the fact that all the economies in the Indeed it does. And this means, for example, world now form part of the same economy. It that the well-known Dutch phrase 'Do it in should not be forgotten that in the Fifties and the boss's time' is incomprehensible to the Sixties Japan built up its own industries be­ Japanese, since for them there is no question hind massive tariff barriers. of a master-servant relationship- a company is an organic whole. When European firms Do you have any problems with the ambassadors venture into Japanese terrritory, they would ofthe Ten in Tokyo? do well to take this sort of difference into There is an important difference. Unlike a account. national ambassador, I do not deal with the The closed nature of Japanese society also sum total of relations between countries. The affects Japan's relations with other countries. EEC has a limited number of tasks, and that The Japanese have always had a strong prefer­ means thatmyworkis mainly concerned with ence for their own products. In a certain sense the economic relations between Europe and it is true to say that the country has a 'self­ Japan- and here the biggest problem at pre­ suffiency syndrome', a strong need to meet all sent is trade relations. its own requirements. This runs counter to In this matter, the European Community closed society. When we speak about free the concept of the international division of has been given special competences by the trade, we mean free access to the market and labour, and to the idea that you should import member states. In principle, we share the free competition, including competition be­ certain products which you do not make your­ same position. In my relations with the tween labour and capital. self. ambassadors of the Ten, I am the European In Japan, all these concepts have a different spokesman in this matter, and the ambassa­ meaning. Therulesofthegamehave been im­ Turning to the question ofEurope, do you see the dors do not have personal contacts with the posed on Japan by the Western countries-or biggest problem as being the relati'Ve loss of Japanese on this question. The only exception rather, Japan has accepted the western rules. competiti'Vity? is when it is a question of how to deal with a When the Japanese say that their tariffs are the It is not just a question of the Japanese dump­ concrete problem. But in that case we consid­ lowest, then that is the truth; and when they ing their products on our markets: it is more er the matter jointly. say that there are almost no formal restrictions the case that we have fallen behind in certain OneproblemisthatJapanisahighlyindus­ industries. You only have to think ofthe Swiss trialised country with an economy stronger watch industry, which disappeared in five than any western European nation's and -'The closed nature of years because the Swiss did not believe in the whoseGNPismorethanhalfthatoftheEEC's Jgpanese society quartz watch introduced by the Japanese, and even though its population is less than half of which is now trying to make a comeback. that of the European Community. Yet it still affects Japan's Another example is the motor cycle industry. has difficulty fitting in with the economic sys­ relations with other Apart from Harley Davidson, nearly all the tem set up by the western nations after the countries' motor bikes you see riding around are Honda Second World War. This is due to Japan's or Y~. The European and American in­ very different culture, and to its traditionally dustry will thus have to try to make a come- ~ ll EUROPE83 back in thenextfewyears. It certainly can, but reached an agreement, the top negotiators a it will take a great effort. Once you have lost a 'You will never reach a conclusion within an hour. lead and are confronted with such strong com­ achieve anything with In this respect, the Japanese are very di petition and fighting spirit as is shown by the the Japanese by ficult for us to understand~ However, I don Japanese, then you have to concentrate your think it is impossible, and I always obje strength and try your very hardest. The big­ geffing into a heated whenJapanesesay, 'You peopledonotunde gest danger for Europe is that we never pre­ debate' stand us; we are Japanese, and of course ye sent a united front and are always trying to must conform to our standards, but at d steal a march on each other, while in certain same time you must put your own attitud, areas wecouldhavemoreimpactifwe cooper­ pletely fathom Japanese society. It is said that and your own position up for consideration' ated. the only people who can have a well-founded oftensaytomy Japanese friends, 'Youarepa opinion of Japan are those who have been of the western industrialised world, and ye Don't the EEC countries seem more and more to there less than three months or more than thir­ also wish to take part in the great political ar be taking refuge insheltiring their own markets? tyyears,inwhichcaseistillhavealongtimeto economic summit conferences - but th There is indeed that tendency. There is a great go. With that reservation, I can say that you means that you must also conform to a certa: temptation to say that we will shelter our mar­ seldom come in contact with ministers or extent.' ket temporarily, and that once we are stronger politicians who have not prepared their sub­ This will probably be the most difficu again we will return to the open market. The ject well. This also has to do with the fact that problem in the coming years, namely to kno danger of this is, ofcourse, that the temporary the Japanese do not like improvisation. The how to be able to accept the Japanese as equ protection will become permanent, and that second point is that they are very courteous. negotiatingpartners. Weonoursidewillha, because we have lost the spur of competition You will never achieve anything with the to make a greater effort, since under the su wewillnolongerbeabletoenterthefrayofin­ Japanese by getting into a heated debate. face the Japanese still think to themselve ternational competition. From this it follows InJapan,muchuseismadeofgo-betweens. 'Yes, now they have need of us. But they that, as I said earlier, we must pursue a double c When two negotiators speak with each other, not really think of Japan as a western countr: policy of trying to maintain our own essential they remain on the best of terms, even if they that it really belongs.' industries and to reach an understanding with donotagreewitheachother. They know that, the Japanese by calling on their enlightened iftheytrytoreachaconclusion, they will come D Laurens Jan Brinkhorst, formerly leader self-interest. into conflict, and so they go on talking until an ofthe Democrat or 'left-liberal' party in So does it require a special attitude? agreement can be reached bytwogo-betweens Dutch politics, has been head of the EEC I don't think that you can ever hope to com- at a lower level. Once the go-betweens have delegation in Tokyo since January.

Social Fund hits a new high Environment The European Social Fund, one ofthe designed to make the Social Fund more black list Community's most important weapons in flexible and efficient, in that it did not the fight against unemployment, is well simply compensate projects already European Community Environment and truly in business. Originally designed financed by member states. Ministers meeting in Luxembourg I to promote job opportunities and the But it wasn't enough. Unemployment have agreed new measures to combat geographical and professional mobility of increased. In 1974 the Council of atmospheric pollution in Europe. workers, it has become increasingly Ministers adopted a programme of Among legislation approved was a important as Europe has slid into 40 priority projects aimed at two major new directive that will give car I economic recession. objectives: full employment and manufacturers in the Community two The Fund finances vocational training improved living and working conditions. years to modify car exhaust systems in and retraining schemes for redundant In 1977 a new plan was put forward. In such a way as to reduce the amount of workers and the unemployed. Since 1975 future Fund resources would be toxic gases that they emit into the an estimated 4.5 million Europeans have concentrated in the sectors and regions atmosphere. Underthenewsystem, benefitedfromESF-fundedprogrammes. most in need of them. At least SO% of carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide The Fund also assists in the relocation and Fund credits would be devoted to hardest emitted will have to be cut by between resettlement ofworkers and creates hit areas. 20 per cent and 30 per cent of the level opportunities for schoolleavers to gain In 1980 unemployment reached currently allowed. work experience. 7 million. By 1983 there were 12.3 million No firm conclusion was reached During the Sixties, the Community unemployed in the Community, some over the level oflead in petrol, experienced an unequalled period of 40 per cent of them were under 25. Fund although the Federal Republic of prosperity. Then the economic crisis resources increased steadily: £565 million Germany, the United Kingdom and struck. By 1975 there were six million in 1981,£729millionin 1982. The budget the Netherlands all want to see lead­ unemployed in Europe-twice as many as for 1983 will be £996 million. free fuel. Other member states said in 1958, when the Community was The European Commission recently that they were prepared to go as far as found~. It was becoming increasingly approved a new allocation of£323 million. possible to reduce levels oflead in clear that the Social Fund's budget Among the beneficiaries, depressed petrol. allocation was totally inadequate to fulfil regions will get the lion's share of Views were also exchanged on its function. In 1971 the Fund was £185 million. Youngpeoplewillget reducing air pollution from industrial reformed. A total budget of£258 million £54 million. The main beneficiary plants and ministers agreed with the more than the spending ofthe previous countries will be Italy, with 32.7 per cent, Commission's belief in the need for 12 years, was allocated. Ireland with 29 per cent and France with tighter controls and improved filtering This first reform of the system was 11.3 percent. and 'scrubbing' technology.

12 equivalent to 40 per cent of the Fund's resources will have to be spent in these areas, with a certain priority being given to youth projects. The remaining funds will go to what was described by Ministers as areas of high unemploy­ ment and those suffering from indust­ rial decline. This could also include the so-calledblackspots-usuallyinnercity areaswhereunemploymentisvery high - that are almost excluded under pre­ sent Fund rules. A small portion of Fund aid (5 per cent) will continue to be used by the Commission for pilot projects ex­ perimenting with new · training methods or job creation schemes. Pro­ jects promoting the reorganisation and reductionofworkingtimewereadded to the list ofeligible pilot projects. Commissioner Richard described the Anew thrust for the final outcome as a remarkable success, considering the gaps that existed be­ tween the different member states. All countries were satisfied with the final European Social Fund agreement, he said. It is not surprising that such long­ drawn-outnegotiationshadtofollowbe­ fore final agreement was reached. The Changes for bringing the European Social Fund more in line Social Fund is the one Community with today's needs were approved by the EEC employment financial instrument that has the most directrelevancetotheproblemofunem­ Ministers, meeting in Luxembourg early in June. They were ployment. confident that this reform, already long overdue, will enable the TheESFwasfirstsetupin 1960, when Fund to make a better contribution to the fight against Europe was undergoing an economic unemployment. boom.Itsmainaim was to make employ­ ment easier, mainly through better The bulk of Social Fund aid (1. 7 bil­ training, and to increase geographical lionECUs)willnow go towards schemes Pfhe Community's and occupational mobility. Although for the young. Mr Blum, the German six poorest reg1ons the Fund's rules foresaw regular revi­ Minister for Employment and Social sion,itwasnotuntil the 1970s, whenthe Affairs, who presided at the meeting, are to be economic crisis started, that it was felt told reporters that the revised Fund will guaranteed a that the Fund should become more include a guarantee that at least 75 per ambitious and start financing job crea­ cent of its resources are used for the privileged position' tion programmes instead of merely young. training. The latest reform, says the The European Commission had not Commission, is designed to do exactly included such a quota when drawing up latively short, consensus was less easily this. The new ESF will be more flexible, its proposal. It had stressed, however, found concerning which regions should and will focus on areas of greatest need, tbatmainpriorityshouldbegiven to the have priority for funds. France, the puttinganevengreateremphasisonjob young, and Ivor Richard, commissioner United Kingdom and Germany wanted creation. for employment and social affairs, was to see the Social Fund's resources con­ The importance attached to the Fund pleased with the final outcome. Under centrated in areas of high unemploy­ by both the European Parliament and existing ESF rules, 40 per cent of aid ment, leaving the European Regional the Council is reflected in the large already goes to youth projects and at Development Fund to deal with the budgetincreasesaccordedinthelastfew least another 30percent, given for more problems of the Community's weaker years. In the 1982 budget, ESF re­ general projects, has benefited the regions. Italy, Ireland and Greece, sources were raised to 1.7 billion ECUs, young, it was pointed out. however, alreadyreceivingalargeprop­ representing an increase of more than In addition to the traditional be­ ortion of ESF aid, did not want to see 44 per cent. The Commission has now neficiaries of the Fund - the unem­ these resources transferred to the richer proposed increasing it to 2.4 billion ployed, particularly the long term-un­ Community countries. They insisted ECUs in 1984. More than 1 million employed, women, the handicapped, that the Social Fund should retain a people benefit each year under the migrant workers - the Ministers have strong regional bias. Fund, 1982 representing a record with also added persons involved in small or As a final compromise, the meeting 1.8million. SchemeshelpedbytheFund medium-sized enterprises, and the agreed to guarantee the Community's range from training programmes, to training of people in career advice and six poorer regions-Greenland, Greece, those encouraging worker mobility and local development work. French Overseas Departments, Ireland, employment aids such as recruitment Although the discussion as to who Italy's Mezzogiomo, and Northern Ire­ and wage subsidies. should benefit under the Fund was re- land - a privileged position. A sum Even if the Fund's resources are in- ...

SEPTEMBER 1983 (i) ------EUROFORUM creased. as proposed for 1984, they would 1 thrown out, and replaced by the 40 per still not satisfy the enormous number of Applications to the cent allocation to the six priority re­ demands received by the Commission. It Fund in 1982 gions,leavingtherestoftheFundfreeto is estimated that applications to the support projects in areas ofhigh unem­ ESF in 1982 exceeded the available re­ exceeded available ployment, including blackspots, and sources by 122 per cent. The money resources by those suffering from industrial decline. available barely covered the projects 122 per cenf' As demands for Fund aid are already added to the Commission's top-priority much higher than available resources, list. This complete overhaul of the ESF Commission officials are now trying to was, in the Commission's :view, the only work out a system that would replace way to cope with the new problems ing their relevance. What is more, the the league and indicate the areas of the created by mass unemployment. separate budget lines meant that, each Community that should have first Under the present rules, ESF funds year, one group was played off against choice over Fund aid. Some choice will are shared between a number of diffe­ the other to see who would get the lion's have to be made on the basis ofregional rent sections each dealing with a sepa­ share ofany budget increases. criteria, commented the Commission. rate group ofbeneficiaries. Each section The Commission, in its reform propos­ The Commission, however, has no _has its own budget as well as separate als, also suggested a league of regions, way of controlling such expenditure if criteria outlining the type ofproject that headed by the six priority regions, to be the projects in question are undertaken has top priority. These sections cover followed by regions who are worst off on directly by government agencies. A lot farmers, young people, migrants, the basis oftheir general and long-term depends on the willingness of the gov­ women, the six priority regions, the structural unemployment levels, Gross ernmenttoseethatESFaidisusedtoex­ handicapped and technical progress, as Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, and pand thenumberoftrainingschemes. wellashelpforcertain typesofindustry. youth unemployment. A provision to Despite the problems that may arise, With the reform these separate sections give special aid to blackspots was also it is certain that the new Fund will be willdisappearandapplicantswillbeput included. To qualify, however, these able to respond much faster to needs in a common pooL areas had to have an unemployment arising from Europe's ever increasing Each year, guidelines will be drawn rate equal tonolessthan three times the unemployed. It is hoped that concentra­ up setting out which projects will be national average. If this was the case, tionofESFfundingwillmake better use favoured. This procedure will simplify then projects in such areas would be ofthevery limited resources. TheCoun­ the Fund and concentrate resources on funded irrespective of the surrounding cil'sagreementwillnow be examined by the best projects. Under the old rules areas' position in the league. the European Parliament beforereceiv- there was so much overlap between the Theideaoftheleaguefoundlittlesup­ mg. fo:r1nal approval different categories that they were los- port in the Council meeting. This was REBECCAFRANCESKIDES

risk offuture oil price increases, accord­ ing to the Commission. But Europeans have been using less An energy programme for imported oil, particularly in power sta­ tions. While total demand for energy dropped by 11.5 per cent between 1979 the Eighties and 1982, oil consumption fell by 21 per cent, from 537 million toe (tonnes oil equivalent) to 425 million. In 1982oil accountedfor49percentof Europe's internal energy consumption, The European Conrmission has published details ofa new five­ compared to 54.5 per cent in 1979. In year energy programme, aimed at encouraging a more rational three years net oil imports fell by 34 per use ofenergy and increasing the security and diversification of cent from 487 million toe to 323 million Europe's supplies. The programme, which includes planned toe, because offalling demand and a 30 increases in spending on research and development and percent rise in domestic oil production. Overthesameperiodtheshareofelec­ investment incentives, would mean an increase in Community tricity generated by solid fuel and nuc­ energy spending from 769 million ECUs in 1984 to between learpowerrosefrom 58 per cent in 1979 1.5 and 2 billion ECUs in 1986-87. to 69 per cent in 1982. Solid fuel now accounts for 46 per cent oftotal electric­ By 1986 Community member states the extent to which industry should be ity consumption and nuclear power for will be spending an estimated 230 bil­ exempt from the tax, its effect on indust­ 23percent. lion ECUs OJl energy. Finance for the rial competitivity and whether Com­ Falling oil consumption and in- new programiili:l could come from a tax munitymemberstateswouldnotsimply on this consumption, from which Euro:­ prefertoallocateextramoneyforenergy pean industry would be exempt, accord­ spending, out ofthe general budget. 'Europe's ing to the Commission. Increased energy spending is still dependence on The idea of an energy tax was first needed to reduce import dependency. imported energy floated in May, as part of a package of Althoughmajorprogresshas been made Commission proposals on ways to in­ in terms of diversification of supplies remains crease the Community's funds. Since and rationalising energy use, Europe's considerable' then the Commission has been looking dependence on imported energy re­ at the potential flexibility ofthe system, mains considerable and subject to the

(ii) A ..t. EUROFORUM ..I!! MM creased investment in alternative ener­ gy sources has, however, been largely Euro-television: a genuine theproductofthepost1973eraofexpen­ sive oil. Failure by the OPEC cartel of oil-producing nations to agree on pro­ alternative? duction quotas in January, brought the first significant drop in oil prices for a de­ cade. This year, cheaper oil will cut the Community's import bill by $10 billion, An interview with Lorenzo Natali, Vice-President ofthe cut inflation by at least 1 per cent and European Commission and responsible for information probably increase economic growth in services, on the prospects for television in Europe. 1984 byupto 1 percent. Mr Natoli, where did the initiative come 1 from for a report by the Commission on Natural g_as is the future ofEuropean television? Europe's third and NATAIJ: I could simp~y say that we were asked to do it by the European Parlia­ finalmaior ment, but that would not answer the indigenous energy question. Actually, theParliament'sde­ resource' cision, in March 1982, to ask us to study the matter, was a considered reaction to an observation offact: direct broadcasts by satellite, fibre-optic cable networks But Commission officials are worried and the spread ofvideo receivers and re­ that Community member states may corders will give rise, in the space of a fail to take advantage of the situation few years, to a radically new European and not use the breathing space to con­ audio-visual reality, characterised by solidate energy strategies designed to the large number and international na­ reduce import dependency. H energy ture ofthe programmes. saving and diversification investment is The full implications ofthis therefore cut back as a consequence of cheap oil, had to be quickly realised, so that 300 the old dependency on unreliable im­ million Europeans could derive the Pfhe dired satellite ports could re-emerge. maximum benefit from it. Infactthisisa TV broadcasts will Consequently, the proposals con­ valuable opportunity to bring our cul­ tained in the new five-year programme tures together and to give people adeep­ not be limited to are a mixture of amplified old policies ersenseofcommunityandinvolvement. Europe' already adopted at Community level and new policies designed to stimulate In what direction are we moving? investment. The European Parliament has worked Brussels in the autumn, inviting televi­ As in the past, proposals for Commun­ out its proposal from scratch: a Euro­ sion corporations, national govern­ ity action are concentrated in areas pean television programme, to be broad­ ments and programme producers. where they offer clear benefits over ac­ castthroughout the continent by direct­ tion at national level. They include broadcast satellites which will enter What kind ofprogramme is envisaged? investment in various types of energy service in Europe in 1985. On a fully in­ As complete as possible: news, enter­ saving, :finance for hydrocarbon and dependent basis, some fifteen European tainment, culture, education and sport. uranium prospecting and the develop­ television companies belonging to the Fromthe experimental transmissions of ment ofa more balancedrangeofenergy European Broadcasting Union carried lastyearitwas clear that the profession­ supplies, including solid fuels, nuclear out five weeks of joint experimental als of15 different countries were able to power, natural gas and renewable closed-circuit transmissions in 1982, us­ adapt rapidly to a common project, with alternative energies. ing the OTS satellite. efficiency and enthusiasm. One impor­ Measurestoencourageenergysaving The Commission is therefore faced, tant point must be emphasised; not all include a proposal for interest subsidies firstly with the Parliament's proposal, the countries in the Community partici­ on Community loans for investment in and secondly with the EBU initiative pated in the experiment - Belgium, coal-firing, district heating and the pro­ working in the same direction. We have Denmark and Luxembourg opted out­ duction of energy from waste. Invest­ examined the various aspects of this, while some non-European countries did ment in all energy saving projects consulting with the various interna­ join in (Algeria and Tunisia). The direct should be similarly encouraged, accord­ tional and national bodies, and have ar­ satellite television broadcasts will not ing to the Commission. rived at the conclusion that, while the be limited to Europe. This is therefore a The plan also calls for more energy­ idea of a multilingual European televi­ broader concept, based on geographical saving demonstration projects, in the sion programme, jointly conceived and proximity, common culture and histor­ context of a well-funded multi-annual produced by professionals of the televi­ ical heritage. programme aimed at improving energy sion corporations, for the whole of the Nevertheless, the 1982 experiments research. Further energy saving could European population, is on the whole were controlled by a small group offive beachievedbytheimprovedintegration desirable and possible, there must be a television authorities: the British ffiA, of Community electricity grids, in order measure ofpolitical agreement on it. the Italian RAI, the Dutch NOS, the to minimise costly accidental disrup­ Moreover, in order to discuss all the Austrian ORF and the GermanARD. tions ofsupplies. problems, the Commission intends to A new group has already been formed, CHRISLOM organiseaninternationalsymposiumin andallmembersoftheEBUbelongtoit; ....

(ill) ..,.;;. "'''""''" .!1 the new group will decide by the end of 'Guarantee of tives of the broadcasting authorities, theyearwhatkindsofinitiativeswill be national governments concerned and started in 1984. A number of possibili­ independence for Community institutions, with the job of ties are being examined, but the experi­ current affairs agreeing on general lines ofjoint opera­ ments will definitely begin again and tions, guaranteeing that these would be will be a good deal more ambitious than programmes' followed, and arbitrating on any dis­ those of last year: not onlybecause they putes. willlastmuchlongerandformorehours in the day (12 hours a day has been men­ But could not the inevitable de facto in­ tioned) but mainly because they will no ternationalisation of European televi­ longer be on a closed circuit. This will that the majority of·the programmes sion cause legal problems? allowalargepartoftheEuropean public must be conceived and produeed - al­ Certainly, serious problems. For exam­ to be involved. ways with a European background-by ple, a common market for television the national television authorities. would cause problems over royalties. A What does the Commission propose to The 'European' organisation would 'green paper' is being prepared on the do? therefore be an international group of subject. In general, it can be said that all The Community institutions- and not professionals with the job of putting the legal problems are being tackled in a only the Commission - can choose be­ together a choice of the best contribu­ spirit of maximum freedom to supply tween the minimum: doing nothing, and tions from the various member corpora­ goods and services, freedom ofestablish­ doing the maximum, setting up a real tions, based on criteria of variety, ba­ ment in Community countries and free­ European radio and television corpora­ lance and complementarity. domofinformation-active and passive. tion. The first possibility implies mis­ Then there is the problem of current This means freedom to supply informa­ singthe opportunity to internationalise affairs programmes, news programmes tion and to receive it. programmes by making way for a un­ and news headlines. It would be im­ ified view ofthe problems and culture of possible to base the first category on What about the different languages? Do Europe. Furthermore, it implies a pas­ national contributions: a central inter­ they not represent a major obstacle for a sive acceptance that the future will be national independent editorial board pan-European television programme? . determined only by the interaction of would therefore be necessary. In this Obviously, this.does not help matters. the existing forces, especially the large connection, I must emphasise that the The diversity of the languages is one European and extra-European finan­ guarantee ofprofessional independence aspect of the richness of European cul­ cial complexes. ·for this 'European editorial board' from ture, but it is also one of the longest Obviously, these forces will always be any undue interference, political or standing obstacles to the unification of actively involved: we simply want to see otherwise, represents one of the fun­ our countries, in all fields. But the tele­ whether, and in what form, we can give damental commitments and one of the vision coxporations who carried out the the European public an alternative to raisons d'etreofany participation by the experiments in 1982 have already tried the television programmes they would Community institutions in a project of outanumberofwaysofprovidingevery­ offer. this type. one with the same pictures, each in his The idea of setting up a European own language. broadcasting corporation, on the other But how would it be financed? In fact, all the satellite television hand, seems neither realistic nor desir­ TheCommission'sreportwasnotableto channels allow simultaneous transmis­ able. It would not be welcomed, under­ give a ready-made answer to this. That sion of one television channel and six standably, by the national television au­ would be premature. It is first necessary sound channels. The translation can be thorities, nor, as a result, by govern­ to solve the problem of advertising. The provided by Simultaneous interpreta­ ments.Moreover, it would be extremely decision to rely on such a source of tion, dubbing, or subtitles. complex and expensive. The very mem­ finance has complex political and cultu­ However, I must emphasise one final bersoftheEuropeanparliamentwhoin­ ral implications, which are at present point: nobody thinks that the European itiallyproposeditlater gave up the idea. under study by the Community institu­ programme could or should replace the However, there remains a third possi­ tions, governments, professional bodies national programmes in any way. On bility- of supporting the present EBU ·and other international organisations. thecontrary,itshouldobviouslybecom­ initiative, and possibly participating in In any case, it seems clear that the plementary. Just as many people buy a · it. Indeed, the Commission's report re­ majorshareofthefinancecanonlycome second newspaper, perhaps with a more commends this approach and also sug­ from the broadcasting corporations in­ international flavour or completely gests some possible working methods volved. As for a possible financial con­ foreign, in addition to their local daily and means. tribution by the Community institu­ paper, in order to get a broader, or simp­ tions, one must distinguish between the ly a different outlook. Lefs talk about these methods and experimental and operational phases. This is also confirmed by the Euro­ means.HowmightEuropeanbroadcast­ In the first, there do not seem to be any barometer poll: more people are in­ ing cooperation be structured? particular problems in coming to an terested in the European programme in Above all, the structure would have to agreement with the bodies concerned. the multilingual border regions, espe­ be as flexible and simple as possible - However,oncetheoperationalphase be­ cially better-educated people and those and not only for the obvious finanical gins, a regular financial contribution who are sensitive to European matters, reasons. You have to be careful when from the Community budget might pose which is obviously not surprising. you talk.aboutEuropeanculture: its un­ a number ofproblems. Building Europe or, to use the words of ity is the result of the diversity of the Nevertheless, in an attempt to main­ the Treaty of Rome, laying 'the founda­ national cultures, whose identity with­ tain the independence ofthe profession­ tions of an ever closer union among the in a 'European programme' must not als committed to the production of the peoples of Europe', can also influence only remain intact but must be revived 'Europeanprogrammes',asuitable body this large and important nucleus of and emphasised. It is therefore essential could be set up, consistingofrepresenta- European citizens.

(iv) financial future of the Community. They signed the solemn declaration on The European Council: making European union, the fruit of an initia­ tive launched by the German and Ita­ lian foreign ministers, Hans-Dietrich a fresh start Genscher andEmilio Colombo. The document covers thewhole range of Community activity, and emphasises We have avoided a grave crisis and we must now make a new 'the importance of greater coherence beginning. The issues are not finally settled and hard work and close coordination between the ex­ remains to be done.' This was how European Commission isting structures of the European Com­ President Gaston Thorn summed up the achievements of munities and European political co-op­ eration at all levels, so that comprehen­ government leaders during the three day Stuttgart European sive and consistent action can be taken Council at the end ofJune. to achieve European union.' It seeks to end the use of government By dint ofhard negotiating, the Com­ vetoes, which have frequently blocked munity's heads of state and govern­ Pfhe heads of state the introduction of new policies, by ment, assisted by Foreign Ministers, and government urging members where possible to dis­ agreed a timetable for reforming the have called for more play their opposition by abstaining Community's finances. whenever unanimity is required. Given the complexity ofthe issues in­ integration and a Government leaders cast their cus­ volved, a special emergency procedure re-launch of the tomary glance round the world's trou­ was established for the next six months' ble-spots, repeating their view that a re­ negotiations. These will involve joint European turn to peace in theLebanoncouldnotbe meetings of Foreign and Finance, and Community' accomplished until allforeignforceshad where necessary, Agriculture, minis­ - Gaston Thorn withdrawnfromtheterritory. They also ters backed by State secretaries. warned against outside military in­ The talks, according to the final com­ terference in the affairs of Central munique will coverthefuturefinancing America. of the Community; the development of Coincidingwith thevisitofPopeJohn Community policies; the issues relating Community. 'This decision was taken Paul 11 to Poland, the European Council to enlargement, particular problems of in the context ofthe adoption ofthe dec­ expressed the conviction 'that only a certain member states in the budget laration on the future financing of the national reconciliation, taking full field and in other fields; and the need for Community,' notes the communique. accountofthedepthoftheaspirationsof greater budgetary discipline. Heads of state and government also the Polish people, can lead Poland out of The result of the negotiations, de­ considered matters other than the its grave crisis.' signed to ensure that policies are cost­ effective and that economies are made where possible, will be submitted to the nextmeetingoftheEuropean Council in Greek presidency faces up to Athens scheduledfor6 December. President Thorn, although making it clear he would have liked more than a the budget problem working programme to have emerged from the summit, nevertheless consi­ dered it encouraging that, in the face of The immediate priority facing the Greek Government, which enormous difficulties, which could lead took over the Presidency on 1 July, is to examine the future to disintegration, the heads ofstate and financing ofthe Community, the country's Foreign Minister, government have called for more in­ Mr Ioannis Charalambopoulos, told the European Parliament. tegrationandre-launchoftheEuropean Community. 'The most important problem con­ strategy is based on the need for early But he warned that no further delay nected with future financing is that of agreement on the series of integrated could be tolerated in translating these increasing own resources. If the Euro­ Mediterranean programmes proposed commitments, 'which point in the right pean Community is to be in a position to for Greece, Italy and France. direction,' into reality. achieve some sort of unity speedily, and Mr Charalambopoulos stressed his The Greek government, which took if the new policies are to be im­ Government's determination to reduce over the Community presidency on 1 plemented, the budget problem must be the technology gap between the Com­ July, has already announced it intends dealt with,' he said. munity's advanced and backward coun­ to attach the greatest importance to the The Foreign Minister made it clear tries by promoting research, industry task, while the European Parliament that the Greek Government is hoping and industrial innovation projects over has called for answers to the wide range that the Athens European Council in a wide area. of issues to be found by the December December will agree to increase the He also confirmed Athens' intention deadline. funds available to the Community to ask Foreign Ministers during their The European Council also agreed budget. political cooperation discussions to look that 750 million ECUs should be en­ But the Greeks have set themselves at the situation in Cyprus and help set­ tered into the draft 1984 budget as a other priorities, calculated to iron out tle the unresolved questions hanging refund to Britain, to offset part of the economic imbalances and regional ine­ over the Republic's relations with the country's financial contributions to the qualities in the Community. Part ofthis Community.

(v) EUROFORUM.

consideritselfatrend-setterintheinter­ national musical field. Sienna and Dublinjoin hands The Accademia Chigiana holds its courses in summer, from the beginning of July to the end of August. To be in·making music accepted, students must pass entrance examinations in their chosen fields. Last year, thanks to contributions from the European Community under In the medieval city ofSienna is the Accademia Musicale its cultural action programme, the Chigiana, which was founded in 1932 by Count Guido Chigi Accademia received funding to finance Saracini. On the death ofCount Chigi Saracini in 1965, the ten study grants for students of merit Accademia was left a vast collection ofworks ofart, which from the member states. Another innovation is the encourage­ enabled it to pursue the Count's major aim: the running ofan ment of contacts between the advanced school ofmusic where leading instrumentalists, Accademia and the Dublin Academy in conductors and composers would teach musicians from all over Ireland. Teachers from Sienna, in agree­ the world. ment with the Dublin Philharmonic, will select students who will then attend the summer courses at the Accademia For many years, that initiative has Chigiana with the help of EC study been Unique. Its success has grown ev­ Contributions from grants. ery year; and now the splendid facilities the Euro~ean At the Wednesday concerts the of the Palazzo di Via di Citta receive Community are teachers and the most advanced stu­ hundreds of pupils from all over the dents play chamber music in the world. helping young palace's picturesque inner courtyard. The Community countries are always musicians enioythe Thus students have the chance to play well represented, as are thoseofEastem qppor1unityofa with the greatest names in internation­ Europe, but there are also students from al music in the majestic setting of the countries outside Europe, notably the lifetime palace. USA, Japan and Australia. Another interesting initiative is the GreatmusicianssuchasAndresSego­ Concerti Itineranti, or Travelling Con­ via, George Enescu, Nicanor Zabaleta, the same time as the conventional ones, certs: summer musical encounters Salvatore Accardo andSeverino Gazzel­ haveincludedArturoBenedettiMichel­ given, by the students alone, in the loni have taught at Siena. The teachers angeli, Maurizio Pollini and Nathan streets and squares of old Sienna on on the special courses, which are held at Milstein. The Accademia can therefore warm summer evenings.

provided the temperature starts hot enough. Birth of a superstar The stage after that would be to build a machine to solve the technological problems, so that a commercial reactor The current to make several hundred thousand light bulbs could be contemplated. glow-60 thousand amps-was used to start up the JET fusion All this will take time. It may not be machine on June 25. A Superstar was born. until the year 2020 or 2030 that a com­ mercial fusion power station will be The futuristic machine - built with built, capable of exploiting the con­ Community funds in rural Oxfordshire Temperatures may tinuous fusion reaction. -burnt for only a tenth of a second; but reach 100 million Thestart-upofJETisabigstepin that this rates as a major scientific success. degrees-hotter direction. JET is the largest machine of Overthenextseveralyearsthemachine its type in the world and the keystone of will explore the means to inaugurate an than the centre of the European Community's fusion prog­ era of cheap and inexhaustible supplies our sun ramme in which both Sweden and ofelectricity. Switzerlandhaveoptedforpartnership. · It has taken five years to build JET, Fusion research embraces a world col­ completed on time and to within a few tigrade-hotter even than the centre of laboration involving Americans, per cent of the 322 million ECUs of the our sun. Japanese and the Russians. Following cost estimates, taking inflation into Eventually, the current will be in­ discussions between Dr George account. creased to some 5million amperes, and Keyworth, President Reagan's scien­ The strong electric current was pas­ other equipment with an additional 25 tificadviser, and Commission VicePres­ sed through low density hydrogen gas megawatt of power will be used to heat identDavignon, the European Commis­ with such force that it broke up the the plasma to top hydrogen tempera­ sion has proposed to the Ten that a for­ atoms into a fiercely hot plasma com­ tures. If JET passes this test, heavier mal agreement should be negotiated posed of their constituent electrons and forms of hydrogen-the deuterium and with USA. The agreement will cover protons. In the seven-yearexperimental tritium isotopes - will be used instead. ring-shaped machines like JET, known programme it is hoped to reach tempera­ Thesecancreateanevenhotter self-sus­ as 'totamaks,' as well as other types of tures as high as 100 million degrees cen- taining thermonuclear fusion reaction, machines.

(vi) "Y -··u· * 4i1EUROFORUM EUROPEAN REVIEW

ple that slaughter is the best way to pre­ Fairplay for Citizens' Improving safety vent the disease spreading. The Com­ mission argues that the effectiveness of Band at sea vaccination is limited because there are no less then seven known types ofFMD West German MEP HorstSeefeldis Europe's merchant fleet is the virus which can in turn be broken down camp8.igningforthe rights of largest in the world. With the into sub-types and varieties. In addition Europe's Citizens' Band radio accession ofGreece to the EC, the the virus can be carried long distances enthusiasts. Communityisnowtheproud by air currents. possessor ofmore than one-third of Above all, vaccination is expensive. The craze has its detractors. They claim the world's entire shipping fleet. About4 million ECUs had to be paid out that CB transmissions tend to interfere incompensation for slaughter following with those of the essential services - Nevertheless, and despite the import­ an outbreak last year in Denmark, police, ambulance, fire brigade-as well ance of maritime transport for Com­ while the annual vaccination bill would as TV and radio broadcasts. munitytrade, thereisnoEuropeanbody have been around 5 million ECUs. Each member state has adopted its to co-ordinate the multitude of recom­ As a result, British MEP Brian Hord own regulation to minimise disturb­ mendations and directives designed to is urging the immediate implementa­ ances which conform more or less to the combat pollution and improve safety at tion oflast year's directive by member guidelines. sea. states, claiming that differing national However, the differences in the laws Greek MEP Konstantinos Kaloyan­ controlmeasuresarebeingincreasingly that exist rule out the possibility ofmov­ niswantsmemberstates tojoin together used as an excuse to erect trade barriers ing sets from one member state to and establish a European Foundation within the Community. These often another. The situation should be re­ for Safety at Sea to 'organise, encourage amount to a total b~ on imports. solved without delay, according to MEP and co-ordinate' both research into safe­ Horst Seefeld-to ease the minds of CB ty at sea and the means to combat mari­ users and to reduce any nuisance caused time and coastal pollution. Claiming Hotter competition in by their sets. that Greece is the veritable home of shipping, he recommends that such a road haulage body should be headquartered there. Watering down the Despite their advantages over bilateral licences, EC-wide permits hard stuff for road haulage operations Foot and mouth- a currently cover only about 5 per A news item in the latest issue of cent ofall such operations within 'Kangaroo News' reveals yet European killer the European Community. But a another side-step in Community proposal from the European regulations. Foot and mouth disease is a killer. Commission seeks to institute Last year in Europe alone 22 herds automatic increases in the Excise duties in Denmark, it says, are totalling 4,200 cattle and sheep were 'Community quota' which would very high compared with those in the destroyed. raise this proportion substantially. neighbouring Federal Republic of Ger­ many. Nevertheless, measures to control the Under the proposal, there would be Since excise duties are an important disease vary considerably from one yearly increases in the number ofEuro­ source of revenue, the Danish Govern­ member state to another. In Belgium, pean Community permits equal to five ment fears that shopping trips across Italy, the Netherlands and the Federal times the growth in haulage traffic in the border to take advantage of lower Republic ofGermany all cattle over four the year for which the latest statistics German prices could result in signi­ months are vaccinated annually and if are available. ficant revenue loss. there is an outbreak of the disease on a This system would operate over a So the Council of Ministers has farm only 'receptive' animals are period of up to eight years, after which allowed Denmark to restrict the quanti­ slaughtered. In France and Luxem­ theCommission'sintentionis that there ty of duty-free goods allowed to Danish bourg compulsory vaccination also ap­ should be an international haulage citizens below the levels agreed in the plies; all livestock on a particular farm market 'organised on free market prin­ appropriate Community directive, un­ are slaughtered in the event of an out­ ciples as far as possible'. less they have been out of Denmark for break. In addition, under the proposal, the at least 48 hours. In Ireland, the UK and Denmark, on distribution of the permits amongst the Wine however, is, not covered by this the other hand, vaccination is banned­ member states should be substantially restriction, and in practice any alcoholic control measures are based on immedi­ improved. This would then take account beverage below 22 per cent volume is ate slaughter of susceptible species. of the economic weight of each country, treated as wine. These three countries have the best re­ theshareoftotalintra-Communityroad So the shops near the border actually cord against the disease. haulage traffic taken by carriers estab­ sell a watered-down whisky to stay When the Commission adopted a lished in each member state, and the use within the 20 per cent limit... at a price directive last year aimed at harmonis­ which hauliers in each member state only marginally lower than a full­ ing FMO control measures within the make ofthe authorisations issued under strength bottle. Community, it was based on the princi- the Community quota system.

(vii) Strong medicine for Latest talks with steel Sweden

The Commission has told The annual high level consultations Community Governments they will between the Commission and have to shed a further 8.3 million Sweden took place in Stockholm on tonnes ofexcess production 23June. capacity, ifthey wish to give further aids to their steel industries. The delegation was led, on the Commis­ Geography of the EEC. C. G. sion side,. by Vice-President Wilhelm Bamford and H. Roblnson, The decision is part of the Commis­ Haferkamp, and on the Swedish side by MacDonald & Evans Ltd, £:1.50 sion's strategy to restore the European the Minister for Foreign Trade, Mats A textbook aimed particularly at steel industry to profitability and to be Hellstrom. sixth form and first-year university able to take on foreign competition, by Sweden signed an industrial free students, but also valuable to the the end of1985. By that date, it intends trade agreement with the EC in 1972, interested non-student.lt thatasmuchas30 million tonnes ofsur­ which came into force in 1973. discusses the economic plus capacity will have been closed and Trade between Sweden and the Com­ g~raphyofthe member states that government subsidies to the indus­ munity has expanded considerably within the context of EEC policies, try will be a thing ofthe past. since the agreement came into effect. and contrasts problem areas within The Commission, as the Competition Sweden is now the third largestcustom­ the Community. lt also provides a layman's breakdown of what the Commissioner, Mr Frans Andriessen eroftheEC.AbouthalfofSweden'stotal Treaty of Rome contains, and warned, has the power to enforce these foreign trade is with the European Com­ many useful tables and closures. 'Ifthey do not accept these clo­ munity. illustrations. sures, Government aid will be frozen. Thesespeci:ficundertakingswillhaveto be met. We expect criticism, but at the Economic Diplomacy between endofthedayweexpecttheCommission the European Community and decision to be respected,' he said when Social Affairs Japan, 1959-1981. By Albrecht announcing the programme. Committee gets Rothacher. Gower, £16.50 Under plans previously lodged with This is an interesting study, the Commission, governments had cracking particularly of the crucial '76-'80 pledged to cut back 18.4 million tonnes period. Unfortunately, its by the end of 1985. In setting the new references are already a little out of :figure of 26.7 million tonnes, the Com­ Encouraged by last year's date.lt makes no mention of the mission insisted its eventual target was successful campaign to increase second, or the now-imminent third, the 30 million tonne cutback agreed by European Community funding of European enlargement; and in the Industry Ministers last year. The differ­ projects for the unemployed, the light of the heightened activity in European Parliament's Social EEC-Japan trade relations, it is ence is expected to be made up by future frustrating not to have the cooperation agreements between firms. Affairs Committee is standing firm by its commitment to protect the information carried throu~h to the present. However, as a history of EC's working population. the difficulties it is informative and readable. Preparing for Athens Responsible for drafting all the Parlia­ ment's opinions on proposed EC social Community Foreign Ministers have measures, and the main watchdog on Regional Development agreed an onerous programme of the European Social Fund, the Commit­ Agencies In Europe. Edited by meetings over the next five months tee's influence has increased over the Douglas Yulll. Gower, £17.50 to reform EC finances in time for the last years. Looking back at 1982, it can December Athens European claim Parliament's agreement to in­ A practical and lucid survey of Council. crease by 44 per cent European Social regional development agencies throughout the European Fundresources-themainEC aid to the Communlty.ln addition to In the most intensive examination of unemployed - as . one of its major analysing the varying characters, Community policies ever conducted, achievements. The Committee's im­ policies and difficulties which are theywillbeassistedbytheir:financecol­ portance has grown as unemployment unique to each member country, it leagues and, when necessary, by agri­ in Europe has worsened. provides thorough inter-country culture and other Ministers. The Committee's biggest triumph and inter-agency comparisons. The :first joint ministerial session this year was convincing Parliament to openedon19July, withanotheroneday hold a special meeting on the employ­ meeting on 30 August. Thereafter, the ment situation in Europe. Practically Public Service Unions and the tempo is stepped up with further talks all the background work on the European Community. Edited 20-21 September, 10-12 October and strategies discussed by Parliament was by Emll Klrchner. Gower, £14.50 9-12 November. undertaken by Committee members. In preparation for the negotiations, The main report focused on Europe's A factual compendium, giving employment situation and special re­ detailed breakdowns of different the Commission was due to present on public service unions, their 1 August reports on the future of the ports were drawn up on youth unem­ structures, aims and interests. Common Agricultural Policy and the ployment and the reduction and reorga­ various Community Funds. nisation ofworking time.

(viii) EUROPE83

medium-sized firms, for example, struggle hard to have access to it). A single Euro-currency: Further, the Euro Market is so open to the outside world that third countries have full and easy access to it, which is why 'European must it be only a dream? savings' contribute largely to financing other people's investments. The operations of the Euro Market- con­ t seems obvious that, ifEurope had cluded Mr Ortoli in the memorandum sent to greater monetary strength and The monetary weakness of the EEC Council of Ministers on behalf of the cohesion, it would depend less on the Europe's economy is putting Commission- 'are becoming more frequent I dollar and would be less sensitive to the us at a grave disadvantage, through third-country currencies and on ups and downs ofthe American currency. terms over which the governments of the And yet Europe continues to suffer the argues FERDINANDO member states have practically no control. effects from across the ocean almost without RICCARDI The proportion of Community savings which reacting, to submit to a certain extent to the goes through international markets for inde­ 'law ofthe dollar', and to ask the American au­ finite economic ends-and on terms which re­ thorities to take account ofEuropeaninterests cent events have shown to be uncertain-is too instead ofshowing them the bargaining power high.' which would allow Europe to negotiate as an behind, even though the EMS has allowed the The only reason the situation is not actually equal. essential foundations to be laid on which it disastrous is the existence of the Community, This is why exchange and interest rates con­ would be possible to build. which has been able to do something about it. tinue to depend much more on the United From the financial point of view, the Com­ The European financial instruments (namely States monetary policy and budget than on the mon Market does not yet exist. The four 'free­ the European Investment Bank, the 'NCI'­ actual financial figures, which should be a doms' represent the very bases of the Com­ another Ortoli instrument which bears the function of the economic data, or the require­ munity and the creation of a unified economic name of its inventor - ESC and Euratom ments ofinvestments and the fight against un­ area: in movement of goods, persons, services loans) gather resources on the international employment. and capital. money markets, and put them at the disposal The reasons behind this unsatisfactory The first exists, despite a few gaps against of Community investors, including small and situation, in which Europe in practice re­ which we are fighting. The second-the right maedium-sized businesses. nounces the mastery of a large part of its own ofworkerstomovefreely-isnowestablished. Furthermore, the creation of the ECU, the destiny, are familiar enough. Europe does not The third, relating to services, is still in­ European Currency Unit, means that at least have one single currency but a number of cur­ complete (for example in the huge area of in­ part ofthe big issues are not in dollars. rencies which follow different tracks; there is surance) though a good deal of progress has Now we need progress. This means that the no uniform economic policy permitting stable already been made and more is on the way. governments must realise that exchange con­ exchange rates; there is not a single money The fourth, freedom ofcapital, does not exist. trols and restrictions on movements of capital market allowing the optimum use of the vast Thus in his reference document on these are not an effective response to national dif­ financial resources available, and at least par­ problems, which since 1962 has taken a step ficulties. Ofcourse,attimesofcrisisorserious tial control ofits interest rates-that is, the cost backwards rather than forwards, Ortoli balance ofpayments deficits, it may always be of money for investment, which creates jobs observed that 'compared with the 1960s, we necessary to resort to temporary restrictions. and maintains, or restores, Europe's indust­ are seeing a decline in the integration of the But restrictions and controls, maintains rial competitiveness. financial markets. In all probability, the Ortoli,haveonlyamodesteffectonlong-term The idea of a single currency is not a dream general movement of capital in the EEC is movements of capital and are too easily which can come true in the near future. more restricted, and the differences between avoided for short-term movements. In his National independence, the very principles of the member states have increased.' Italy, view, the effect on the balance of payments is democracy which make each Parliament the France, Denmark, Ireland and Greece-half very limited or non-existent. As a permanent master of the economic and monetary policy of the Community-are applying restrictions instrument, they are ineffective or simply of its own country, not to mention diverse and controls on movements of capital. Over­ harmful. traditions and mentalities, make such a pro­ all, there is so far no such thing as a unified However, he tries to be a reasonable prag­ ject impossible or at least unrealistic. financial market. matist rather thana Utopianoradreamer. No­ However, there is plenty ofroom for partial The result is that the huge financial re­ body believes that all restrictions can sudden­ but effective action, gradual but immediately sources of the EEC and its substantial savings ly be lifted, giving birth to the integrated useful. are not in any way serving the interests of the money market overnight. On analysis, the The Commission of the European Com­ European economy: they are not available for Commission has aimed to follow 'proposals munities, encouraged by Vice-President all the investments which might be desirable. for a realistic financial integration process', Ortoli, has attempted to fill this gap in the A sort of parallel market has been set up, the implying a gradual progress consisting of 'a knowledge that only a certain measure of so-called Euro Market or Eurodollar Market, variety of specific measures', none of which monetaryindependenceandfinancialintegra­ which undoubtedly has a useful function; but will be a determining factor on its own, but tion will allow Europe to become the true mas­ it is not at the disposal of the EEC economy. which in combination lead towards the gra­ ter of its own destiny. Because of the division of the national mar­ dual achievement ofa 'financial identity ofthe Since the early days ofthe Treaties, Europe kets,itisnotaccessibletoeveryone(smalland Community'. The specific measures prop­ has won back a large part ofits independence: osed are as follows. self-sufficiency in food, for example - today 1 First, the gradual opening of the money the EEC is self-sufficient in nearly all essential From the financial markets. Every year, the remaining restric­ mainagriculturalproducts,anditevenhasex­ tions must be jointly examined, in order to ~oint of view1 the cesses in some areas which are causing prob­ evaluate how far they are necessary; certain lems. Common Market does categories ofrestrictions would be prohibited It is also progressing towards greater inde­ not yet exist' in principle, subject to a Community decision pendence over energy. (inotherwords,nocountrycouldadoptoneof However, the monetary aspect has been left w - ... ,41 these 'prohibited' measures on its own initia- .... 13 EUROPE83r I 'Exchange controls and blocks on Are women in Europe movements of capital are not effective' geHing a fair break?

he European Commission has ADELINEBAUMANN tive). The citizens of all member states would ways been an active campaigner in be gradually allowed to buy shares in com­ the struggle for sexual eqnality. looks at the extent to which panies of other Community countries, Article 119 ofthe Treaty of Rome the women's rights through a stock exchange in an EEC country. 1stipulates equal pay for men and women. At Investment institutions authorized to invest the time it was a bold concept. Since then, enshrined in Community law in risk capital would be free to choose market­ the European Community has been in the are being honoured able securities in any Community company. forefront ofthe battle. Second, a unified network of financial ser­ But Community law has developed faster vices. Freedom to offer banking and insur­ than accepted social norms. Member states 1111['======:=:111 ance services should be achieved. Competi­ have been reluctant to translate the three ex­ The Community has provided financial tion between banks would bring about an im­ isting Community directives into national support, through the European Social Fund, provement in the service and reduce com­ legislation. for vocational training programmes aimed at panies' financial costs (which representa con­ As a result, the European Commission had increasing. the number ofwomen entering sec­ siderable proportion of their overall costs). to introduce a new action programme in 1981, tors in which they have been traditionally Third, links between the stock markets of aimed at improving the legal recourse of under-represented. Vocational training in the different countries. The objective would women being discriminated against imd en­ schools and universities is crucial, and Com­ not be to create a European stock market, su­ ding the idea that the economic crisis can be munity statistics are encouraging. The num­ perimposed on the variousilational markets, used as a convenient excuse for removing ber ofwomen students in Europe is increasing but to establish a 'gradual interrelationship' women from the job market. The plan's objec­ and they now account for about half the stu­ between existing Stock Markets. The EEC tive: equal opportunities for European dent population. Women are also moving could contribute financially to setting up the women by 1985. away from traditionally 'feminine' subjects necessary computer and telecommunications Community action to improve the situation like teaching (except in Belgium, and Luxem­ infra-structure. To begin with, restrictions of women began in the early Sixties, with stu­ bourg, where the percentage is actually in­ would be abolished, in the stock market of a dies and recommendations on how to apply creasing). Fewer are opting for arts subjects country, on the admission of stocks from Article 119 ofthe Treaty of Rome in the mem­ and more are choosing the sciences, law and another Community country. ber states, in order to introduce equal pay for the social sciences. Fourth, setting up new instruments for men and women. But again, good intentions are not enough. gathering savings. There is broad scope for But it was only in 1974 that ministers took Women have always been regarded as a 're­ this; eo-financing, setting up 'collective in­ the decisive step of coming out in favour of serve army', to be used and discarded accord­ vestment' institutions at European level equal job opportunities, equal training and ing to the needs of the moment. As a result, (whose portfolios would contain shares in equal working conditions. they have become the main victims of the re­ companies of various EEC countries), libera­ The ambitious programme took the form of cession in Europe. In April of this year, the lization ofmortgage loans. three important and complementary Direc­ rate of registered female unemployment Fifth, common principles for the surveill­ tives. The first, on equal pay, was approved on reached 11.3 per cent, compared to 10.4 per ance of. international banking: compulsory 10 February 1975: the second, on equal treat­ cent for men. Among the reasons for the in­ 'consolidated balance sheets' for banks with ment, was approved on 9 February 1976; and crease were the introduction of new, labour­ foreign subsidiaries, control of 'high risks', the third, on equal treatment in matters of so­ saving technologies in areas such as office compulsory uniform criteria of solvency and cial security, was approved on 19 December administration, where women have always liquidity for banks. 1978. been in a majority. Two other factors are, first, further de­ The three directives speeded up the adop­ In 1981, following a call from the European velopment of the role of the ECU (European tion ofequal treatment legislation in the mem­ Parliament, the Commission decided to Currency Unit), with universal recognition of ber states. But recent investigation has shown strengthenandenlargeitsactivitiesin the field its status as a currency, immediately allowing that application of the law has varied widely of women's rights. A new action programme ECU operations within the EEC (in the sense throughout the Community, and is often un­ for 1982-1985 was prepared and adopted by that all Community citizens would be able to satisfactory. the Council ofMinisters on July 12th 1982. take out loans in ECUs, even if they were Equal pay is a principle that has remained a The programme covered the promotion of issued in countries other than their own), deadletter,particularlyinanumberofindust­ equal opportunities for women, and included allowingECUsecuritiesintheportfoliosofin­ rial sectors. Recent figures show that gaping sixteen concrete proposals in two main areas: a vestment institutions. And, lastly, tighter differences still exist betweenmaleandfemale strengthening of the rights of the individual, controls on the flow of capital outside the earnings. In April 1981 Irish women em­ and an overall increase in equal opportunities EEC, so as to avoid an excessive proportion of ployed in the leather industry were the worst for women. The Council emphasised that the European savings ending up financing invest­ off. Their hourly average gross wage was near­ programme should serve as a guideline to the ments in third countries. ly 47 per centlower than that oftheir male col­ member states in their efforts to abolish sexual leagues. In 1981 Eurostat also published discrimination 'whatever the economic situa­ figures showing serious discrimination in the tion.' 'Competition between printing and publishing industries in Luxem­ The first set of proposals are essentially de­ banks would reduce bourg, the United Kingdom, the Federal signed to extend and guarantee the applica­ Republic of Germany, the Netherlands and tion of the three directives already in opera­ companies' costs' Denmark. Women's earnings were between tion, mainly by making it easier to bring cases 25 per cent and 39 per cent lower than those of before the courts. A number of interesting men. cases are likely to be submitted to the Euro- 14 EUROPE83 pean Court of Justice in Luxembourg in the near future. The Commission also wants to clarify the implications of the directives in terms of civil, commercial, fiscal and social security law. Another set of proposals deal with impro­ ving working conditions for women. In par­ ticular, they cover paid leave for family reasons, pregnancy and maternity. The objec­ tive is to bring about an improved sharing of parental responsibilities to reduce discrimina­ tion at work. The second area covered by the Commis­ sion programme is the removal of obstacles to equal opportunities. It deals with constraints and attitudes conditioned by the traditional division of roles in society. Basing its approach on methods already tried out in the United States and in Scandinavia, the Com­ mission wants to launch initiatives in the fields of information, training (including in-service training) and the job market. Efforts to in­ crease the number of jobs accessible to women should be undertaken by informing school­ girls of the wide range ofpossible careers open to them. A consultative committee on equal oppor­ tunitieswassetupin1982tohelptheCommis­ sion put its programme into effect. According to European Social Affairs and Employment The women were promptly 'deserted' by 'Women students are Commissioner Ivor Richard, 'national com­ their male colleagues. But, despite every­ mittees have also played a key role in impro­ thing, they decided to continue the strike moving away from ving the situation of women in the member alone, until the discrimination was with­ traditionally feminine states'. drawn. Finally the management decided to He wants to see stronger links at Commun­ sack the 13 most politically-active amongst subieds' ity level so that the implementation of the them. Community programme can benefit from The measures imposed by the firm clearly their advice. contravened the 1978 Belgian law on equal The division of labour between male and Only time will tell whether the programme treatment and the 1976 European directive. female civil servants in the Community is as proposed by the Commission and adopted by On December 26th the women's liaison com­ disproportionate as anywhere else. the Council isn't simply a 'catalogue of pious mittee lodged a complaint with Social Affairs About 50 per cent of Community civil ser­ Commissioner Richardandon24 February he vants are women, but most of them are secre­ 'A number of cases are met with a delegation of the women. He told taries. In 1981 only about 10percentofthetop them that the Commission was acutely con­ administrative (A) grade jobs in the European likely to be submitted cerned about their plight, and that Commis­ Parliament, the Council and the Economic to the European Court sion officials had already asked Belgian and Social Committee, were filled by women. Labour Minister Michel Hansenne to inter­ The figures for the other institutions were in the near future' vene on their behalf. After receiving the com­ even worse, with 8.1 per cent for the Commis­ plaint, the Commission also sent a letter to the sion, 8.3 per cent for the Court of Justice, and Belgian government, emphasising the urgent 7 per cent for the Court of Auditors. By com­ hopes.'Eitherway,theendoftheCommunity need to take the 'necessary measures' required parison between 62 per cent and 90 per cent of programme will also mark the end of the UN under Belgian and European law. allBandCgradeexecutiveandsecretarialjobs Decade for Women. The case of the sacked Beckaert-Cockerill in the institutions are held by women. National bodies concerned with the promo­ women has become a sort of test case for the In a draft report on 'The situation ofwomen tion of women at work and equal opportuni­ Commission. According to social affairs com­ in the EEC institutions', prepared for a com­ ties will play an important role in the eventual missioner I vor Richard, the Commission is mission of enquiry into 'the situation of outcome. 'particularly concerned that women do not be­ women in Europe', German Euro-MP Mar­ Here is one test case. At the end of 1982, come the first victims of the economic crisis'. lene Lenz listed numerous examples ofdiscri­ thirteen women workers were sacked from the As for the thirteen 'sacrificed' women, the mination in terms of recruitment and promo­ Beckaert-Cockerill wire plant at Fontaine­ National Belgian Women's Council voted tion opportunities. Concrete demands listed L'Eveque near Charleroi in Belgium. It was them 'Women of theYear'. But, as one repre­ in the report range from an improvement in the last step in a conflict that had begun in sentative of the liaison committee observed, information in the Community institutions to August. 270 employees had gone on strike, 'It's all very well being heroines, but what are improved in-service training for women. following redundancy notices as a result of a they going to live on?' Whatever the current extent of female restructuring plan. In October the manage­ Another question: are the Eurocrats sym­ under-representation, the situation could be ment suggested a clearly 'sexist' solution, im­ pathetic to feminism? If one goes by the about to change. In addition to launching its posing part-time working on any employee treaties and· the Community directives, then massive external action plan, the Commission who was not 'head of a household' - in other the answer is yes. But when one looks more is aiming to set an example by removing the in­ words, 27 of the 31 women employed at the closely, one sees that women are not at all well equalities that still exist between its own male plant. represented in the Community institutions. and female employees. ll 15 EUROPE83

/ the only commercially viable Where to method. Winning the Disposal of high grade wastes is not yet on the agenda. The time dump all needed for cooling, the availsbility inflation of storage space, and the limited quantities involved have given baHie that nuclear member states time for extensive re­ search into the problem. Commun­ European inflation for the year waste? ity and national researchers agree ending on 1 May stood at 8. 7 per that high-grade wastes will even­ cent, the lowest level for more How do you get rid ofthe tens of tually have to be buried at consider­ than four years, according to thousands of cubic metres of able depths in certain types ofgeolo­ Eurostat. radioactive waste produced in gical formations or in the seabed. Over the first four months of Europe every year? The issue is According to the Commission re­ 1983, inflation in the ten European discussed in a report just port, radioactive waste manage­ Community countries averaged 3.2 published by the European mentdoesnotposea threat to people per cent, compared to 1 per cent in Commission. or the environment, and should not the United Statesand0.6percentin The objectives of radioactive slow down nuclear programmes in Japan. waste management are safety and the Community. Improved safety Average inflation rates in Europe the protection of pre8ent and future measures and public information this year varied widely from 0.4 per generations and their environment. should calm public fears, it claims. cent in the Federal Republic ofGer­ Although not all European coun­ manyto9.5 percent in Greece. Italy tries are engaged in nuclear power suffered the second highest rate, programmes, radioactive materials with inflation running at 4.8 per are widely used throughout the cent. Community for research, industry French inflation was almost as and in hospitals. The different bad at 4 per cent, followed by Ire­ materials used do not give off the land at 2.5 per cent, Belgium at 2.4 same type or quantity ofradiation. per cent and the United Kingdom at The price Today, nearly 95 per cent of 2.2 per cent. Luxembourg reg­ wa8testreatedintheCommunityare istered 1.9 per cent, Denmark 1.4 low or medium grade wastes from per cent and the Netherlands an im­ for eating research centres,industryor hospit­ pressive 0.8 per cent. als, for example, from cobalt ther­ Community averages were horses apy for cancer victims. Disposal and pushed up by a seasonal! per cent treatment methods for low grade average April increase. Greece re­ The European Community wastes have been in use since the corded a 1. 7 per cent rise, France bnpo~abouta~onliveho~ 1950s. Two methods are currently and the United Kingdom registered for slaughter every year, to fill used by the member states, one on increases of 1.4 per cent and Italy butchers' shops all over the land, theotheratsea. registered 1 per cent. Other coun­ Continent. The European France and the Federal Republic Good news tries reported increases of between Parliament's Agricultnre ofGermany both opt for the former, 0.6and0.2percent. Committee has been looking into choosing shallow and deep burial re­ for mouflons how they are shipped. spectively. Belgium, the Nether­ Mostofthehorses currently come lands and the United Kingdom all A European Commission study from the Soviet Union and Poland dispose of their wastes at sea under abned at preparing a directive on and others come from Yugoslavia international supervision. the protection of endangered and Greece. The main bnporting About 5 per cent of wastes pro­ species in Europe is under way in What a load countries are Italy (500,000 anbn­ duced in the Community consist of Brussels. Despite lbnited funds als), France (350,000) and Belgium substances contaminated by alpha and personnel, research has of rubbish (15,000). radiation, with a lifespan of several already included studies ofthe Since horse-meat consumers pre­ hundred years. Most of these last brown bears in Europe, found Every year, Europeans produce fer their meat fresh, the horses are wastes, which largely come from in Greece, Italy and the Pyrenees. 100 ~on tonnes ofmunicipal shipped alive by road or rail. That treatment plants, are left untreated Recentinteresthascentred on the garbage, three quarters ofwhich means a 30-hour journey between and are sbnply stored. fate of the Corsican mouflon - an is household waste. Because this Poland and the Franco-German Member states package the attractive, hairy, homed creature, rubbish contains quantities ofraw border, 12 to 18 hours between the wastes in concrete, bitumen or, from which the domestic sheep of materials and energy, European Greek port of lgoumenitsa and the more recently, polymers, and store today is directly descended. countries !lfe increasingly trying Italian port ofGallipoli, and about 8 them in special buildings. The first Following a parliamentary ques­ to use it. A report recently days between Yugosalvia and Italy. disposal plants in Europe should tion from Dutch Socialist MEP published by the European Media coverage of the treatment come into operation in the early Hemmo Muntingh, the European Commission outlines Community inflicted on the anUnals in transit 1990s. Commission is to ask the French au­ action in the field. has inflamed European public opin­ About 0.3 per cent of wastes are thorities for detailed information of Three main options exist for ion, particularly in the Federal Re­ classified as highly radioactive, and the dual threat posed to the arrival waste disposal authorities: tradi­ public of Germany. Long periods in consist essentially of the 'ashes' of by poaching and cross-breeding tional dumping (although sites are transit, unsuitable wagons and the nuclear combustion, including with sheep, becoming increasingly difficult to absence of veterinary controls are some of the wastes derived from According to the report pub­ find), recovery of materials, and re­ just some ofthe abuses listed. nuclear power programmes. They lished by the Nature Conservancy covery of energy. Most Community The parliamentary report says give off considerable heat and are Council of Great Britain, the mouf­ countries have chosen one of the that.the two European Directives of stored in specially-built cooling lon is totally protected in Corsica three. 1977 and 1981, dealing with the safety-tanks. Various ways of treat­ and the total number is believed to The United Kingdom favours transport of anbnals, should be ap­ ing and storing them are being stu­ have slightly increased in recent making fuel from garbage and re­ plied more rigorously throughout died in Europe. The French system years. In 1980itwasestimatedatbe­ covering some materials. Italy pre­ the Community. offusingtheminto glass is currently tween 300-400. fers to sort, recycle and reuse mate-

16 EUROPE83

rials. And Ireland prefers to simply ter-university links, an improved Naples, on the same lines as the dump it, because sites are widely system of academic recognition for progra=e for Belfast recently available. courses taken abroad, and more proposed by the European Commis­ Generally Co=unity countries funds for students wanting to study sion. favour burning their garbage. In­ in other countries. The report also reco=ended in­ cineration of household rubbish has The 'Joint Study Progra=es' tegrated development aid to prom­ been around since the 1890s. But are designed to provide 'pump­ ote tourism, small businesses, there have been important develop­ priming' funds for higher educa­ crafts, the agri-foodstuffs industry ments in the field, notably increased tional establishments wanting to set and animal husbandry in earth­ flammability of rubbish and intro­ up links with similar institutions quake-damaged areas of Campania duction of automatic methods of elsewhere in the Co=unity. First and Basilicata. disposal. adopted in 1976 under the Action As one of the poorest regions in In1977about20nll1Uontonnesof Progra=e in Education, the pilot Europe, the area suffers from mass municipal waste were burnt in the scheme launched over 270 joint unemployment, low per capita in­ Co=unity, 12 nlllUon tonnes of progra=es, involving over 400 in­ comes,andalackofinfrastructures. which provided usable heat in the stitutionsofhighereducation. It currently receives extensive aid form of steam or electricity. In 1980 Over the years, recognition of BrH:ish chess from the European Regional and So­ about 14.5 nlllUon tonnes of muni­ courses taken abroad has been a ma­ cialFunds,theNewCo=unityln­ cipal waste was burnt and energy jor stumbling block to increased in­ strument and the Europ'ean Invest­ was derived from about 65 per cent tegration. Now, Ministers plan to champion mentBank. ofit. In Denmark the heat produced set up national centres, coordinated supplies urban heating networks. at Co=unity level, designed to in­ Generally, experience has shown crease the speed, reliability and sweeps the that the cost of disposing of urban accuracy ofinformation transfer be­ waste diminishes the larger the tween countries and increase con­ board quantity. In terms of cost it seems fidence in 'credits' acquired abroad. Hi-fi firm is that the production of heat or heat Improved financial support for British international master Jim and electricity is the most viable students wanting to study abroad is Plaskett has won the first solution, ifusers can be found. also to be introduced, through a European Community Chess fined for As far as the recovery of energy scheme by which nationally­ Tournament in Paris. He from garbage is concerned, the awarded student grants and loans dominated the competition, 'collusion' Co=unity is a leader in the field. will be tenable in other European !~sing only two games to grand Numerous attempts in the United Co=unitymember states. masters Hans Ree ofthe The Community is tightening up States over recent years have proven Netherlands and John Nunn of on its competition policy aimed at uneconomical. The Co=unity, the United Kingdom. creating a single market for which uses traditional incineration Erik Lobron, of the Federal Re­ Europe's 270 million consumers­ methods, has introduced types of Report urges public of Germany, was runner-up as Pioneer Europe, the European fuels that separate usable wastes and 21-year-old Eric Prie of France subsidiary of a Japanese hi-fi from industrial ovens. Technical was third, winning the tide of company, has just found out to its advance is crucial in these and other better deal 'Champion of Paris' for the second cost, areas and the Co=unity plans to year running. The Court ofJusticehas just fined encourage technological innovation forau pairs Former French Prime Minister the company, ,which is based in in the field in all the member states. and Mayor of Paris Jacques Chirac, Antwerp, together with its French, Au pairs go to families on a who presented the awards, de­ German and British distributors, a temporary basis, where they are scribed chess as a game which 'de­ total of £1.8 million for 'collusive given food, lodging and pocket velops the individual's powers of practices'. The most serious charge money in exchange for helping observation, decision, strategy and was stopping exports of Pioneer around the house. The aim ofthe self-control'. goods from the Federal Republic of system is to help young people to Thetournamentwasjoindyspon­ Germany and the United Kingdom improve their languages and sored by the Commission of the from being resold in France. knowledge of things foreign, by European Communities, the Melchiers, Pioneer's sole distri­ becoming familiar with life in their French Ministry of Free Time and butor in the Federal Republic, had host country. the City ofParis. refused to supply Pioneer goods to At least, thatishowtheCouncilof another German firm that wanted to Europe agreement on au pairs de­ resell them in France. This way it scribed the system in 1969. Some­ allowed 'Musique Distribution times the reality of the situation France' (MDF), the sole French varies somewhat from the theory, distributor, to maintain artificially and a number of young people have high prices. been bitterly disappointed by their Call for more The British firm Shiro (Pioneer experiences. The European Parlia­ GB) was doing the same thing and ment's Committee on Social Mfairs aid to Naples the whole operation was controlled and Employment has now been ex­ from Antwerp by Pioneer Europe. Students on amining the legal status ofau pairs in The slums of Naples and areas of All threefirmsandMDFwerefined. the European Co=unity. Southern Italy, devastated by The Court judgement backed the .the move Since the end of World War II, earthquakes in 1980, should European Commission's decision to more and moreyoungpeop1emosdy receive massive injections of finethefourfirms. TheCommission Education Ministers have agreed girls, have gone abroad to work asau integrated development aid from was right to describe import and ex­ to a three-point plan to increase pairs. The tight job pllll"ket has also the European Community, port restrictions aimed at partition­ the mobility of staff and students boosted recent interest in au pair according to the European ing the market as 'very serious', it between higher educational jobs. Most sought-after posts are in Parliament's Regional Policy and said. But it decided to reduce the establishments in the European the United Kingdom, France and Planning Committee. fines imposed by the Commission by Community. the Federal Republic of Germany. In a report compiled by Christian half. This was because the 'collusive The plan involves an extension of Fewer people are interested in Democrat MEP Giovanni Travagli­ practices' had only gone on for one the Co=unity's successful pilot working in other Co=unity coun­ ni, the Committee called for a spe­ year instead of two, as was initially programme for the promotion ofin- tries. cial urban redevelopment plan for thought.

17 EUROPE83 ,=•

WilliamHopper, United ments are made, as far as possible, Kingdom: orally in Parliament rather than by 'Is the Commission aware ofthe case QUESTIONS press conferences?' of Mrs Jocelyn Kemsley, who is a qualified State Registered Nurse IN THE HOUSE Answer by Gaston Thorn on and has been employed at the Hopit­ behalf ofthe Commission: al Rural in Perigord, France, since 'The Commission agrees with the August 1980, and who has been de­ Honourable Member that the prac­ nied promotion there because she is RobertBattersby, United Eric Forth, United Kingdom: tice of first announcing major deci­ not French? Does the Commission Kingdom: 'Would the Commission state sions in Parliament is desirable for agree that this is a breach of Article 'Can the Commission give the re­ whether patients in any EEC coun­ the reasons that he cites. 48oftheTreatyofRomeandwillthe sults so far of its experiment in staff try are allowed to see their medical The Commission has in recent Commission enquire into the case? timekeeping?' notesandrecordskept by the Gener­ years made considerable efforts in al Practitioner? If so, would they this direction, as is attested by the Answer by Karl-Heinz Narjes on Answer by Richard Burke on supply full details?' much greater frequency ofCommis­ behalfof the Commission: behalf of the Commission: sion policy statements both on the 'The Commission is of the opinion 'The Commission has not yet com­ Answer by lvor Richard on behalf floor of the House and where the that, in accordance with article 48 of menced any experiment in of the Commission: House was not in session, to the the EEC Treaty, the French author­ timekeeping. In order to assess the 'According to the information pre­ competent Committee. ities are obliged to ensure equal ac­ scopefortheintroductionofflexible sently available to the Commission, However, many of the policy de­ cess to nurses responsible for gener­ working hours certain proposals patients in France, Belgium and cisions which the Commission has to al care to nationals from other Mem­ however are under consideration to Luxembourg have right of access to take must be made public as soon as ber States who fulfil the require­ set up a small number of pilot­ their own medical records as com­ possible in order both to protect the ments of directives 77/452 and 453/ schemes in different services with a piled by their personal physician. interests of the Community and to EEC, where those posts do not in­ combination of flexible hours and This right of access is based on the inform interested parties to the deci­ volve the exercise of powers confer­ timekeeping. principle that the patient is the own­ sion in due time. When such deci­ red by publiclaw (see judgements of The scheme introduced on an ex­ er of the record. This principle does sions are taken outside plenary ses­ the Court of Justice). This includes perimental basis in January 1982 is not operate in other member states'. sions or outside the sittings of the the obligation to give to nationals of concerned not with timekeeping, appropriate parliamentary commit­ other member states the possibility but with a regular and standardised Andrew Pearce, United tees, the Commission is obliged to of promotion, on equal terms to record of presence of officials at Kingdom: make its first public announcement those offered to French nationals. work. So far the scheme has pro­ 'In order to improve the flow of in­ of them through press coverage. As France has not taken the vided useful information about the formation between Commission The Commission will neverthe­ appropriate legal measures to en­ availability of staff at work as and Parliament, and to permit Par­ less continue to try as far as possible sure this - and the case of Mrs. affected by absences on mission, liament to react to events more to respect the legitimate concern of Kemsley seems to be an example for leave and sickness, and has formed speedily, would the Commission Parliament to be informed of its that - the Commission has opened the basis for a uniformcontrolatline agree to cooperate in establishing a new policy initiatives as early as proceedings under article 169.' management level.' system whereby policy announce- possible.' A tap on the Eurobarometer

nits introduction to the latest The way Europeans feel placement on the left/right scale; the correla­ Eurobarometer-the annual assessment tion is all the closer wherever discussion of ofthe moods and attitudes of citizens of aboutEurope,andthe economic issues is-constantly or occasionally Ithe Ten member states-the present state ofmorale, is -'politicized'; the analysis shows that is at the Commission says it regards the 1983 moment true in France, Greece, Denmark, exercise as one of the most important ever reflected in the widest­ the United Kingdom and Germany. compiled. It covers a record number of ranging survey yet Compared with the previous half-year, subjects, and interviews with 9, 790 conducted inside the there is no significant change as regards the respondents over the age offifteen- all feeling of satisfaction with life: Denmark, the interviewed in their homes between 25 Community. It shows mixed Netherlands and Luxembourg are still lead­ March and 27 April. feelings, but signs of ing the field in this respect, with France, Italy Byway ofexperiment, two questions gener­ and Greece bringing up the rear. A look at the ally regarded as useful in gauging the trend of cautious hope . .. ten-year trend (1973-83) throws up a few in­ the short-term economic situation were asked teresting variations against a generally stable again. They bear on changes over the last background: a slight upward trend in Italy twelve months in the country's general econo­ (which started very low) and in Denmark mic situation, and the financial situation ofin­ (which started very high), as well as in Luxem­ dividual households. Although, as in the past, respondents tend bourg, the Netherlands, Germany and the Negative answers still, by and large, out­ to assess the situation of their individual United·Kingdom; a slight downward trend in number the positive answers in all but one households in less negative terms than the France and Ireland, a more prounounced one country-Denmark. The Danes, who in Octo­ situation of the country as a whole, there are in Belgium. These trends probably reflect ber 1982 took a very poor view of the trend in again exceptions- Greece and, in particular, general feelings about whether one's country, Denmark's economic situation, saw things in Denmark. These assessments, which are sup­ considering its aims and ambitions, will be a much brighter lightsixmonthslater. In Ger­ posed to reflect the short-term economic able to cope with its problems better or worse many, the Netherlands and Belgium the feel­ trend (and certainly do reflect it to some de­ than other countries. ing is less gloomy; while the Greeks, the gree), are fairly closely correlated-especially Expression ofthe feeling ofhappiness turns French, the Irish and the Luxembourgers the general assessment - with respondents' out to be relatively stable, withaslightupward tend to appear more pessimistic. ideological leanings, as indicated by self- trend since April 1975 (when this question 18 EUROPE83

'Negative answers the Danes, Germans and Irish rank first; the 'More than Italians are at the bonom of the table, behind still, by and larste, the Greeks. The relative importance of the threequarters say outnumber pos1tive media varies widely from country to country: they are proud of their television reaches well nigh all the European ones' public; radio is a major source of information country' in Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands, but much less so than elsewhere in Greece and Italy; the newspapers are more frequently first appeared in Eurobarometer), except in quoted in Germany, Denmark and Luxem­ Extension of public ownership (nationa­ Belgium and Denmark. But, for the first time, bourg, but 20 per cent to 30 per cent ofthe Bel­ lisation) is a less anractive objective almost a question was asked on what 'happiness' gians, Greeks, Italians and French say they everywhere. meant to respondents in each country. A clear never read the political news in the dailies. Increased economic aid for the Third majority (58 per cent) cited good health. The World countries is not getting as much sup­ next two most important topics were a suc­ port as it did in 1981 or 1979, no doubt because cessful marriage and getting on well together of the economic crisis. in the family; money took only fourth place. The development of nuclear energy still This order is much the same in all countries, commands fairly solid support, but with which shows that these are values common to appretiable differences from country to coun­ all the peoples of Western Europe. At indi­ try: the Germans, the French and the British vidual level, the variable which appears to re­ tend to favour it, whereas all the others, but late most closely and consistently with what especially the Irish, the Dutch and, in­ Europeans term 'happiness' is the personal creasingly, the Danes, are turning against it. scale of values, measured here as the prefer­ The strengthening of military defence is ence given, when a choice has to be made, to supported by a majority moderately in favour 'having' (security and material wellbeing) or but, here again, with differences between to 'being' (personal fulfilment, social involve­ countries: the Greeks, the British and theIr­ ment, quality of life). ish are fairly positive; the Dutch, the Bel­ Another important indicator of the social gians, the Italians and especially the Danes are climate is satisfaction with the way democracy less keen; the trend is moving definitely works. It is, by definition, very sensitive to The feeling ofnational pride. More than three against it in the Netherlands. political events; but our observations show quarters ofthe people interviewed say they are The issues on which European consensus is that the differences between national political very proud or quite proud of their country. firmest are combating terrorism, protecting systems tend to remain relatively stable- Ger­ The Greeks (90 per cent) were the most fre­ the environment and, albeit to a lesser degree, mans and Danes have for some years almost quently heard expressing these patriotic feel­ reducing inequality in incomes and more continually been showing greater satisfaction ings, while theBelgians(68 percent) and espe­ autonomy for the regions. than other Europeans in these surveys, where­ cially the Germans (56 per cent) are the least The question 'Do you ever think of your­ as the Italians are at the other end of the scale. inclined to do so. self... as a citizen of Europe?' has a new rele­ The longer-term trend (1973-83) is definitely Peace, the supreme value. Asked about the vance in view of the 1984 election ofthe Euro­ upwards in Denmark, Germany and the importance they attach to peace as against pean Parliament. United Kingdom, and definitely downwards other things (standard of living, liberty or hu­ Surely the very essence ofcitizenship is ex­ in Belgium. man rights) worth defending, even at the risk ercising the right to vote and choose one's rep­ All the Community countries - and many ofwar, the great majority ofEuropeans(80 per resentatives. With no significant change from others throughout the world- are faced with cent of those who replied) chose peace. The last year, one person out of two says that this the problem of unemployment. At the same only country where the public is split into two happens 'often' (16 per cent) or 'sometimes' time, signs ofeconomic recovery are discerni­ almost equal camps is the United Kingdom: (34 per cent). ble here and there. A new question aimed to SS per cent of the British believe peace to be More Greeks and Luxembourgers than find out how far the public believed that un­ the most important thing, but 45 per cent feel anybody else give the most positive answers employment would disappear if business and that there can be more important things to de­ and more British and Irish give the most nega­ the economy picked up. The answers were fend. tive answers- 68 per cent and 74 per cent clear enough: seven out of ten people believe The main socio-political cleavages. The pur­ respectively say that they 'never' think of that the problem of unemployment will not pose of this question- already asked in 1979 themselves as citizens of Europe. disappear if the economy picks up. The most and 1981-is to determine at regular intervals Attitudes towards the unification of Europe pessimistic are the Dutch (91 per cent of those how far Europeans agree or disagree on anum­ are still broadly favourable in all countries ex­ who replied). Greece is the only country ber of political issues that are topical in most cept Denmark. The climate even shows a where the optimists on this question outnum­ Community countries. Interest centres here slight improvement over the two preceding ber the pessimists. on the comparison between countries and on half-years, notably in Germany and Belgium, With the European elections only twelve the trend ofanswers from one poll to the next. and proportionally more among opinion lead­ months away, a comparative reappraisal of This is what emerges: ers than in the rest of the population. The political values and attitudes is of obvious in­ general erosion of the idea of a united Europe terest. that emerges from an analysis of the results Interest in politics. Four out of ten Euro­ 'Seven out of ten over ten years (1973-83) therefore seems to be peanssay they are' a great deal' (11 percent)or believe slowing as general economic conditions are 'to some extent' (31 per cent) interested in tending to improve. politics. Those who take the most interest are unemployment will In the United Kingdom there is a significant the Dutch, the Danes and the Germans; those not disappear if the shift from the negative to the less categorical taking the least are the Belgians and the economy picks up' answers, which confirms the trend noted six Italians. months ago- the opponents ofmembership in Expost~re to information media. This variable the United Kingdom appear to have been is closely correlated with interest in politics: losing ground over the last two years. ~ EUROPE83 When Britain was part of Europe

he first sentence I remember trans­ JACK WATERMAN visits French continued in Norwich until the mid- ating at school from BeD's Latin Prim­ 19th Century, and an annual service in Dutch r was, 'Britannia insula est'. The idea an EEC-aided exhibition at was held in the city until well into the 20th l s deeply ingrained: the Scepter'd Isle, the Castle Museum, Century. with John Bull striding about the battle­ European influence on East Anglian agri­ ments, everyone ready to fight on the Norwich, which reminds culture, and, in turn, on British agriculture as beaches and in the streets, Britann.ia herself visitors of Britain's age-old a whole, was even stronger. About6,000years just offshore on our defensive moat, draw­ connection with the rest of ago Neolithic people crossed the North Sea, ing copious envy from what Shakespea.re bringing with them grains and domesticated caUed ' less happier lands'. the Continent animals to Norfolk. Mter this introduction of As a corrective to this view, and, more im­ farming - by the first century BC, when the portantly, to the idea that Britain is not and crossed what is now the bed of theNorth Sea­ Iceni were the Celtic tribe occupying Norfolk never has really been a part ofEurope, a visit to dry-footed, except perhaps, where they -corn, cattle and hunting dogs were being the Castle Museum, Norwich, is well worth forded the Thames, which was then a tribut­ exported to the Roman Empire, some time while. A permanent exhibition entitled 'Nor­ ary of the Rhine. before the legions first set foot in Britain. folk in Europe' has recently re-opened there. Rather more recently, the first ice-cream, When the Romans did arrive, they were the Insofar as the idea for the exhibition stemmed advertised as of'pure quality and delicious fla­ first to attempt draining part of the Fens, the from the European Commission, and a small vouring', was sold in Norwich. This was vast marshy area then covering whole tracts of amount of EEC money was involved both in round about 1910. The man who made and Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. setting it up originally and in re-styling it in purveyed it was 'Big Peter' Chiesa. He was a But it was a Dutchman, Comelius Ver­ 1983, the sceptics would be justified in seeing member of an Italian community which muyden- naturalised not long after his arrival it as a propaganda exercise. But history, of flourished in the city at the time. This was not, in Britain, and knighted by Charles I -who course, when convenient, is the stuff of prop­ however, the first foreign community in Nor­ made the first serious and successful thrust at aganda, and the truth makes its own rhetoric. wich. An important wave of immigrants had land-reclamation. Between l634and 16SS, he So, it is salutary to be reminded that Britain arrived in the 16th Century. At the time, the reclaimed thousands of acres of Fenland in a has been an island only for a mere flea-bite of Norfolk worsted industry was in decline. Re­ huge project involving the cutting of new time: nomorethanabout9,000years. Farther fugees, fleeing from persecution in the Low rivers, to the lasting benefit of the British back, any argument against British participa­ Countries, settled in Norwich, bringing with economy. tion in a European community could have them new weaving skills. The introduction of new crops from the been refuted on grounds of geography alone. By the end of that century there were 4,000 Netherlands, such as turnips and clover, The first settlers crossed to Norfolk at least a Protestant refugees in the city, making up a made possible the famous Norfolk system of quarter of a million years ago, during a warm community of so-called 'Strangers', and crop rotation. Until the introduction ofclover period between advances of the ice sheets and amounting to no less than one-third of the en­ in the 17th-century, fields had to be left fallow before Britain became separated from the tire population of Norwich. Most spoke for one year in three. In the foUowing century Continent. Even later, when mammoth and Dutch or Flemish; another distinct group the method was devised whereby cropping reindeer had taken the place of elephant and spoke French. Each group had its separate could be conrinuous, with turnips, barley, rhinoceros, human beings crossed and re- church and cloth hall . Church services in grass and clover , and wheat in rotation. A ma-

Which side of the North Sea? English landscape pointers hove found the some evocative terroi n in the Low Countries. 20 EUROPE83 'Refugees, fleeing = from the Low Countries, settled in :"·

Norwich' .r jorcontribution from the Netherlands was the light two-horse Norfolk plough based on a Dutch design, and replacing the heavy eight­ oxplough. The Dutch, in addition, created the seed trade in England, and brought bulb growing to East Anglia, wrule it was another Dutch­ man, van Rossum, who built the first sugar­ beet factory at Cantley, Norfolk. in 1912. to process the crop which had earlier been intro­ HISPANIA duced from rus native country, which was growing greatly in importance, and, indeed, was lifted in the early years of this century in various parts of Norfolk by gangs of workers from Holland. All this, and much else besides, is vividly portrayed within the walls of the Keep of Nor­ wich Castle, in pictures and exhibits (many of them, in another example of European co-op­ eration. loaned. or given as replicas by a wide variety of European museums). Admirably complemented by a lavish brochure(available in English, French, German or Dutch), the inextricable interweaving of European cul­ mre and that of Norfolk, in consonance with That it is a success is a tribute to a vear's Above: Norfolk in relation to Europe in that of Britain as a whole, has been fashioned hard work of preparation and organisation in­ the 2nd century AD, at the height of the into a sweeping visual panorama. Nelson here volving almost the entire staff of the Norfolk Roman Empire. Below: Scondinovion rubs epaulettes with Erasmus; 'Turnip' Museums Service. It was opened three years place-names and moiolico from Holy ­ Townshend finds himself in the unlikelv com­ ago by M. Roben Gregoire. Head of the more reminders of the county's long­ standing European connection. pany of the Norwich watercolourist John Sell Cultural Division of the European Commun­ Cotman; and an even greater pillar of the agra­ ity , and, eart ier this year, after re-organisation rian revolution, Thomas Coke, Earl of Leices­ which rook a brief period. was opened once ter, eyes the people's champion Thomas again. Paine. For their pan, the present-day citizens Nowhere can the underlying community of of Norwich - descendants, who knows, of interest and common background ofthe Com­ Neolithic farmers, the lceni, the Romans, the munity have been given such striking pre­ Vikings, the Normans (another sort of Vik­ semation. Some minor items often make the ing) or Flemish Weavers -look with approval best highlights to a majonheme. such as a note on the evidence of their European past. that in local Norwich dialect the word The idea for the exhibition was contained in 'lookems' was a corruption of the Dutch word the Bulletin oftheE uropeanC ommunities (Sup­ for the windows in weavers· garrets. Or the plement 6177) entitled 'Community Action in near-identical pictures portraying the Old the Cultural Sector', published in November Weigh House, Amsterdam. and the CustOm 1977. It recommended that a pilot scheme be House, King's Lynn. Or a yellow jersey of promoted by the Community w enable a Norwich City Football Club surmoumed by museum to organise a permanent display to stuffed canaries, and an explanation that the draw attention to the underlying cultural club's nickname, 'The Canaries,' derives heritage of Western Europe. The following from the flourishing trade of canary breeding year, Roy jenkins, then President of the Com­ carried on by the weavers. resulting in a dis­ mission, announced that the Norfolk tinctive Norwich variety of bird. Museums Service had been selected out of all If after all this, any visitor still doubts the the museums in the European Community to exchange of culture that has gone to make organise an exrubition wruch, if successful, Norfolk and its people what they are. and, in could be followed by similar projects in other turn, their contribution tO Europe, one final European museums. item may convince. In the section devoted to Industry and Trade in the 19th and 20th Cen­ 'Where Nelson rubs turies appears an item concerning Pasta Foods Ltd of Great Yarmouth. In 1972 thev were epaulettes with producing spagherti on ltalian~made Erasmus .•.' machines and exporting it. And in a super­ market in Florence it was outselling the local product. Cl 21 EUROPE83 Simon Bolivar: tribute to a liberator

tin America this year celebrates the The man who brought and it was Rodriguez who drew the young OOth birthdayofSimon Bolivar, the Bolivar away from 'worldJy pleasures' to real­ gendary 'Liberator', who contributed Europe's ideas of ise his true vocation. Cto the freeing of the Andean democracy to South The fact that Bolivar later refused the title countries from colonial rule at the of Emperor, preferring to keep the title of beginning of the 19th century. The America is remembered in 'Liberator' and remained profoundJy republi­ European Community, wishing to add its his bicentennial year can, Dr Alvarez Garcia believes, is because he own tribute to the anniversary refused to follow the example of Napoleon, celebrations, is organising an ex.hibition in whom he saw crowned as Emperor and King Andean Pact countries recalling Bolivar's ofltaly. visits to Europe, and the strong ties that major turning-point. Humbolt, back from He admired Bonaparte, who no doubt in­ linked him to the 'Old World'. South America, was to convince Bolivar of the spired much of his military strategy, but also T o evoke the man- his personality, his life importance of independence for his country. regarded him as a traitor to the revolution. story, and the epic events that led to the inde­ But it was his old tutor from Caracas, Simon In 1805 he went to Italy, having first visited pendence of more than half a continent- we Rodriguez, a fervent disciple ofRousseau and Rousseau's house at Chambery and crossed talked to Dr Marcos Alvarez Garcia, director a convinced member of the liberation move­ the Alps on foot. There too, the people he met of the Centre for Latin American Studies at ment, who was perhaps the most decisive in­ were as important as the culture and history the Free UniversityofBrussels, who helped to fluence. They met in Paris, travelled together; that he absorbed. organise the exhibition. Says Dr Alvarez Garcia: 'It would take years to study this incredibly complex perso­ nality- a statesman and military genius who devoted all his resources, his fortune, his mind and his physical strength, to the cause of libe.ration.' He regrets that, despite the roads and underground stations named after him and the monuments reminding us ofhis existence, Europeans generally know very little about Simon Bolivar. The Community initiative is, he thinks, important in showing that 'the Community's interest in Latin America is more than just economic and commercial.' Bolivar spent his formative years in Europe, but the countries in which he stayed left very different impressions, according to Dr Alvarez Garcia. He was still very young when he arrived in Madrid in 1799 to finish his studies. His teacher, the Marquis ofUstariz, a great scholar, had a considerable influence on his intellectual development. In Spain he also dis­ covered freemasonry which was to influence his liberalism. The masonic lodges were to serve as models for secret societies ofco nspir­ ators in Latin America. But it was his periods in France, in 1802 and between 1804 and 1806, which influenced him the most. 'Paris was then the centre ofthe universe,' Dr Alvarez Garcia reminds us. The American continent fascinated Europe; someone was even to invent a 'Bolivar'hat. In­ tellectuals ardently supported independence movements, and Bolivar was deeply influ­ enced both by his reading and by the people he met. After his teachers in Spain, his friendship with the scholar Alexander Humbolt was a 1 He preferred the title of Liberator to Emperor' 'From revolution to democracy' - the Bolivar statue in Paris. 22 EUROPE83

So can we conclude that Bolivar was a 'corn­ pleat man' in the seventeenth-century Euro­ pean sense? Yes, certainly; but in 1815 he himself wrote in his famous ' Letter from letters Jamaica', where he had been exiled. 'We are neither Indians nor Europeans, but an in­ Safety labelling termediate human species.' It is striking to note that, like many of his compatriots at the We were interested to read the item 'Drive to beginning of the nineteenth century, he saw save the children' in your July/ August issue. himself more as a Latin American than as a In England a child was seriously ill having citizen of any single nation. Although a Vene­ swallowed some tablets. It was impossible to zuelan, it was Bolivia that gave him his name. prescribe an antidote, because the label on He led and took part in liberation struggles in the container showed neither the nature of several and was to offer his help to Cuba, the contents nor the name and address of the where a secret society was named

While every other EEC country has Europe has the plant capacity to It would be unwise for Community French claims that the Triumph been pruning its steel industry, the produce some 60m tonnes ofsteel members to misinterpret moves Acclaim car, made by BLunder Italians have continued to expand more than anyone is likely to want within the Labour party to reverse agreement with Honda of japan, is production. In the past 10 years, to buy. The result has been low its election manifesto commitment 40 per cent Japanese in content, eaU Italy has increased its steel output prices, inefficient steel industries, to withdrawal from Europe. Even if into question the nature ofthe EEC by a fifth. Since 1974, Italy has lost huge losses and a massive financial the party's hierarchy now admits rules oforigin. only 2% of its steel jobs. In the same burden on European taxpayers. that Britain's interests would be If the car, or any other product period, Britain has chopped 65o/oof Everyone can agree on the served better inside Europe, a for that matter, is classified as EEC its workforce and France has remedy: close unwanted, future Labour Government would by origin it can circulate freely chopped 41 %. inefficient plant. But there has been not hestitate to sabotage the EEC if within the EEC without being The two excuses for Italy's a lack ofpolitical will to embrace it. the terms of membership were not subject to customs duties, levies or determination to ignore the Last week Ian MacGregor said: right. import quotas. Hence the collapse of the steel market have 'My biggest disappointment over Mrs Thatcher's mood is not attraction ofthe EEC market with been that (a) Italian steel makers are the Last three years has been the lack dissimilar. She has recognised for 270 million people for, say, a more efficient than most of their of progress within the EEC towards some time that British public Japanese investor. competitors in the EEC and (b) that a sensible realignment ofcapacity opinion will not tolerate But if the car is established as Italy was for a long time foolishly and consumption.' indefinitely a system that imposes foreign then it is subject to these encouraged by the EEC to expand Of the 300,000 steelworkers to upon taxpayers a crippling financial duties and quotas before it is its steel industry. have been made redundant over the burden. permitted to circulate freely. Once - Economist past decade, almost 130,000 have - Yorkshire Post inside the EEC, any product is been British. theoretically allowed to move -Sunday Times freely, with specified exceptions All readers of the more serious related to the by-passing of import specimens of the French press are restrictions in one country by tinglingly alive to the need to moving the imported goods in defend the language against through another. dangerous Anglo-Saxons. Strange -Financial Times noises may be heard in the Isle of Beauty(Corsica) and the Phocean The mass of subsidies with which City (Marseilles, where as much the EEC floods world markets with Arabic as French is heard), but far, its surplus dairy produce, cereals far worse, even in the sacred groves and sugar, will continue. In this of the Academic F ran~aise, the way food production in the descendantsofHengist and Horsa developing world can never are keeping up the pres.sure, trying compete. to turn that traditional At the same time. the EEC's plantigrade's picnic into a dog's highly protected farmers are breakfast. guaranteed expon markets. - John Harris, in Whatever cereals and dairy The Times produce cannot be sold without causing total collapse on world markets, is given away as food aid, Hanged if we do, hanged if we don't thereby ensuring agricultural -that must be how the European underdeveloped in many Third Commission feels about the way World countries. everyone's reacting to its latest -Guardian CAP reform proposals. If it submits bland ideas unlikely to offend, it's Carmakers selling in Britain are accused oflackofinitiative. !fit planning new moves to fight EEC comes up with bold plans it's Commission proposals which could accused of rocking the boat and substantially reduce new car prices provoking discord. in the United Kingdom. As widely predicted, UK A maximum price differential of subsidies for beef, lamb and butter Lynda Chalker, parliamentary This new Community crisis arises 12 per cent between prices in consumption are early candidates under-secretary ofstate for because the Commission grossly Britain and other EEC countries is for the chop in a new package transport, called on Giorgios underestimated the cost ofrunning being sought by theCommission. designed to lop£ 1800 million a year Contogeorgis, European the CAP this year, and was unable Although price differentials offthe runaway EEC farm budget. commissioner for transport, to to forsee the drop in income that between Britain and Belgium have It is hard to imagine circumstances stress the importance ofensuring has followed the decline in VAT narrowed on specific car models, in which the end of the subsidies that EC regulations on coach safety customs revenue in the recession. the prices in Britain can still be would be acceptable to any British are properly enforced by other If the money runs out, the CAP­ anything from 22 percent to 59 per Government, just as cuts in the member states. She has also asked the one fully-fledged common cent higher, according to one recent intervention price of wheat are him to consider whether more policy the European Community European consumer survey. unacceptable to the French, at least could be done at the community has-will breakdown. What -The Times without a tax on oilseeds and cereal level to ensure safety for coach exactly would happen then is substitutes, which is unacceptable travellers. uncertain. the lef-wing council at Liverpool to the Dutch. The move comes shortly after the A spokesman in Brussels said: has rejected a Common Market The fact that the Commission recent coach accidents on the 'No one knows what would offer of£350,000 cash aid for the itself has been so bitterly divided continent. happen. Farmers would need jobless. over the proposals proves how Reporting to the House of paying, goods would need to be The offer was contingent on the rudderless the CAP has become. In Commons on her talks with the bought off the market, national council putting up£87 ,500. Central the end, the high prices for grains, commissioner, Mrs Chalker said governments would have to take government would have given milk, colza and so on will be that the primary responsibility for the responsibility. If we don't get £262,500, making a total of brought down by a taxpayers' coach safety in Europe rests with the additional budget, the cash runs £700,000. But the council claimed revolt or a trade war with the the national governments out. If we do get it we might just that they would rather use their United States. concerned. scrape through.' own cash on their own plans. - Meat Trader -British Business -Observer -Daily Telegraph 24