Britain and Scandinavia: Their Relations within EFTA, 1960-1968
| DOI | 10.1177/001083677601100101 |
| Published date | 01 March 1976 |
| Author | T. Clive Archer |
| Date | 01 March 1976 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Britain and Scandinavia: Their Relations
within EFTA, 1960-1968
T. CLIVE ARCHER
Department of Politics and Centre for Nordic Studies,
University of Aberdeen, Scotland.
Archer, T. C. Britain and Scandinavia: Their Relations within EFTA, 1960-1968.
Cooperation and Conflict, XI
,
1976, 1-23.
Relationships between Britain and Scandinavia in EFTA are examined using three
variables: industrial base, attitude to the EEC, Nordic-British division. After initial
cooperation in establishing EFTA, British relations with Scandinavia declined and
after 1963 harmony on EFTA issues amongst the Scandinavians increased. Response
to the British import surcharge illuminates the part Sweden played as bridgebuilder
between Britain and Scandinavia. The role of EFTA’s institutions in the relationship
is shown and EFTA’s usefulness for the four states is evaluated: by the end of the
sixties EFTA provided fewer pay-offs and other trade options were taken up in
Nordek and the EEC.
T. Clive Archer, Department of Politics and Centre for Nordic Studies, University
of Aberdeen, Scotland.
I. INTRODUCTION
nization dominated by the presence of
This article will examine two questions:
the British. Until the extension of the
1. What pattern of conflict and coopera-
Community in January 1973 EFTA kept
tion developed within the European
together most of the West European
Free Trade Association’s northern
countries outside the Six and provided
axis, that is between Britain and Scan-
a meeting place where the members dis-
dinavia, during the 1960’s?
cussed their trade policies as these af-
2. I= what
fected each other and third
way have the institutions of
parties such
EFTA acted as catalysts or restraints
as the EEC.2 More often than not the
in this relationship?
EFTA members found themselves re-
EFTA was born out of the deep di-
sponding to changes in the trade and
vision between Britain and France
economic situation created either
con-
by the
cerning the nature, extent and political
British or by outside agents such as the
content of West European economic in-
EEC. Although both the aims and
stitutions in the 1950’s. Britain’s estrange-
achievements of EFTA were modest by
ment from the ideals of the European
comparison with those of the EEC, it
Communities
did
can be seen in her refusal
bring about industrial free trade
to participate in the Schuman Plan nego-
amongst its members, and it did provide
tiations for a Coal and Steel Community,
a particular focal point - albeit one
in her attitude towards the relaunching
subsidiary to Brussels - for certain West
of the Community idea in the mid-1950’s
European trade and integration questions
and her desire in the OEEC Maudling
in the 1960’s.
Committee negotiations to surround the
In examining the relationships within
proposed customs union of the Six by
EFTA and the role of its institutions,
a wider West European Free Trade
particular reference will be made to the
Association.’ The failure of the West
Association’s northern axis consisting of
European states outside the Six to come
the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway
to a mutually satisfactory modus vivendi
and Denmark. These countries have not
over trade matters with the EEC led to
just been chosen on a random basis but
the creation in 1959 of EFTA, an orga-
for three practical reasons. The four
2
states represented the major core of the
2. The negotiations for the establishment
old EFTA, covering its greater part in
of EFTA at Saltsj6baden in the sum-
terms of area, trade, gross national pro-
mer of 1959.
duct and population. Secondly, there
3. EFTA’s first year of existence, during
were strong economic ties between the
which the institutions were established
four countries, which also had - and still
and the problem of Finnish associa-
have - many historical and political
tion was settled.
factors in common. Most notably these
4. From Summer 1961 to January 1963,
states all had antipathy to supranationality
when individual members had direct
as expressed in the existence of the Eu-
negotiations with the EEC.
ropean Communities, and they preferred
5. The period from 1963, when de Gaul-
instead the widest possible solution to
le vetoed Britain’s EEC application,
West European trade problems with
until the Autumn of 1964, during
’pragmatic’ institutions that would blend
which time a new package of advan-
’
in well with their common law traditions.
tages was negotiated within EFTA.
Finally, the four countries had potential
6. The two years after November 1964,
conflictual aspects in their relationships
when EFTA’s affairs were dominated
which are of particular interest. Not only
by the crisis of confidence created by
was there the possibility of a cleavage
Britain’s 15 % import surcharge.
between Britain and the three Scandina-
7. The achievement of industrial free
vian countries, but there were two other
trade in 1966 and the problems of
noticeable divisions in trade policy mat-
the period immediately afterwards.
ters. On the question of relations with
In order to chart the pattern of re-
the EEC there was a divide between the
lationships between the four Northern
attitudes of Sweden, the one neutral
members of EFTA during these seven
country, and those of Britain, Norway
periods, close examination has been
and Denmark, the Applicant countries.
made of their attitude to events within
Then there was the cleavage between,
EFTA. The published or proclaimed
on the one hand, the more fully indus-
responses to each ’EFTA event’ by the
trialized British and Swedes and, on
four governments have been compared
the other hand, the Danes and Norwe-
and an evaluation made of the effect on
gians, whose trade was then still depen-
the trade relationship for each pair of
dent much more on fisheries and agri-
states - Britain-Sweden, Britain-Den-
cultural exports.
mark, Britain-Norway, Sweden-Norway,
Sweden-Denmark,
Denmark-Norway.
II. THE RELATIONSHIPS
’EFTA events’ include each separate in-
The Patterns
cident dealt with by the EFTA Council,
This study examines the progression of
each distinct aspect of an issue which
Anglo-Scandinavian relationships within
concerned the trade relations of the four
EFTA, using the three lines of division
countries within EFTA and each parti-
outlined above. Seven distinct ‘EFTA
cular step of a set of negotiations con-
periods’ can be discerned for this pur-
nected with EFTA. For this purpose, cer-
pose, each period being dominated by a
tain elements of the OEEC negotiations
particular activity common to all the
for a West European Free Trade Area
EFTA countries. The periods are:
and the Nordic Customs Union negotia-
1. That of the OEEC discussions about
tions have been included where relevant.
a wider West European Free Trade
The evaluation of the response to the
Area, February 1957 to February
’EFTA events’ on the trade political
1959.
relationship of each pair of states has
3
made use of a scale suggested by Donald
between Britain and the two Scandina-
Puchala in the journal International Or-
vian states with strong agricultural and
ganization (1970).3
3
Cooperative moves
fisheries interests, the former is seen to
are rated positively and are given a
be much closer than the latter during
weighting. Where the interaction has
the OEEC discussions and, to a lesser
been one of concurrence, assurance,
extent, during the Saltsjbbaden negotia-
support, goodwill, praise or deference,
tions. This reflects the unity of purpose
the weighting for the purposes of evalua-
of the two more industrialized states
tion is + 1. Convergence - alteration of
during these periods compared with the
policy in the direction of agreement, and
Danish and Norwegian stands against
unilateral initiative - ’a statement or
Britain on the question of the inclusion
gesture constituting an invitation to begin
of agricultural and fisheries exports in
or renew a pattern of cooperative inter-
the proposed free trade arrangements.
action’, earn a + 2 rating; joint initiative
During EFTA’s first year, this differen-
a + 3 rating and a formal agreement or
tial disappeared as the questions about
signature + 4. Conflictual acts have a
the fishery and agriculture settlements
negative rating: a difference of view or a
faded into the background. In the fourth
slight -1; a rebuttal, rebuff, criticism or
period the preference was reversed -
suspicion of bad faith -2; a disruptive
Britain being in much greater harmony
initiative, a threat, a warning or protest
with Denmark and Norway than with
-3; a formal disagreement or impasse -4.
Sweden, the reason being the applications
Thus, for each of the seven periods men-
to the EEC by Britain, Norway and Den-
tioned above a percentage score can be
mark. In the post-veto years of 1963 to
worked out for each pair of states by
1964 the new EFTA agreements worked
adding up the weighting for the ’EFTA
out at Lisbon and Copenhagen brought
events’ in that period and, for standardi-
a high - and evenly distributed - level of
zation, expressed as a percentage of the
cooperation between Britain and all the
number of EFTA incidents between the
Scandinavian states whilst the ’surcharge
two states for the period. This scheme
crisis’ brought a similar distribution of
gives a useful system of comparison for
conflict between the United Kingdom and
the amount of conflict and cooperation
the Scandinavians, although the level was
as compared between pairs of states (e.g.
slightly lower between Britain and Swe-
Britain-Sweden compared to Britain-
...
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