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We saw the revival of communitary impulse in 1969, Aia Conference and what follows it. Now we look at the 70s. We examine the 70s, this time, for arguments, in order to better understand the sense of the occurrences. There are three evolutive factors: the first one is about the number of the countries inside the EEC. It’s the enlargement problem. The second one is about the developing institutions and the third evolution factor is about developing and extending policies. Let’s start now from the first evolution element: the enlargement. During the 70s, the first enlargement in the history of EU takes place. 1st January 1973, Great Britain, Ireland, Denmark enter the EEC, as it was called; Norway, that signed the adhesion treaty, is still missing because a referendum doesn’t ratify the Treaty. It’s a strange destiny those of Norway, the same thing will happen again at the beginning of the 90s, again the adhesion problem, again a NO to the referendum, it’s the heavy question that stops Norway adhesion to communitary institution. This first step is so important, especially for Great Britain, United Kingdom, with its peculiarity, enter the history of EU. Great Britain has a pragmatic behaviour, doesn’t trust immoderate impulses, it prefers waiting for the facts check, it won’t join immediately, for instance, the EMS, it will wait for some years, it didn’t enter the “common”yet, it will end with joining it. The same as far as the provisions about people free circulation, Schengen agreements and so on. In practice UK presence helps the multi-speed Europe conception fixed by my great teacher Jacques Delors as one of the pillars of European evolution. Europe cannot always walk simultaneously, it’s necessary a more advanced patrol, having the historical wisdom of waiting for the others to arrive. What’ the political meaning of these enlargements? In the 70s three European countries go out from a long dictatorial period, longer or less. Potrugal, period started in 1928; Spain, Franco’s tyranny ends in 1975; Greece, which had for a decade the Colonels’ regime, gets freedom in 1974. The basic fact is that as soon as these countries gets democracy and freedom, immediately and simultaneously fix the aim of joining the EU. This is a great historical meaning, it’s a historical role of communitary Europe. EU destiny is one of opening to the own national States history. I’d like to remind that Greece will enter in 1981, Spain an Portugal will need a little more time, they’ll enter in 1986, but they are already part of the process of European integration. I have a particular memory of some men: Costas Simitis for Greece, my homologous as Agriculture minister, he was among Roman people, among young university students who came to Rome in order to escape Colonels’ regime, an extraordinary man. The other charachter I remember with pleasure is Javier Solana, who has an important story as well, he was my homologous when I had skills in the fields of research and technologic development in Bruxelles. At last but not least I’d like to remind a theorization about the role of Europe towards the countries that would have get democracy after Berlin Wall fall, was made to me by James Baker III, US Secretary of State in the years of Bush senior, who uttered the famous speech in Berlin less than a month before the wall fall, in December 1989, about the new Europe, a new “Atlantism”, a new era architecture. He introduced to me, then, the man who wrote the speech for him, Robert Zoellick, who is Condoleeza Rice’s number 2, now at the State Department, and who was the former American foreign trade minister. American people’s idea about EU role was one of being an attraction point for the new democracy countries of Center-Western Europe.
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