journal of european integration history revue d'histoire de l ...

38
Birgit Aschmann
how and why the Germans did support the European interests of the Spanish government.
This essay intends to contribute to filling this gap.
After a short description of earlier efforts, the first part of this article will retrace
chronologically to what extent the Germans supported the Spanish cause, particularly
after the Spanish government in a letter by minister of Foreign affairs Fernando Castiella
had applied for association to the European Economic Community (EEC) on 9 February
1962. This longitudinal section ends in 1967, when a new chapter of Spanish efforts at integration
opened with the taking up of official negotiations between Spain and the European
Commission. The second part will bring out the most important reasons that induced
the Federal Government to co-operate with Spain in spite of the latter's non-democratic
political system and the potential risk involved of compromising themselves owing to the
Franco regime's incriminating past.
Spanish Efforts for Integration and German Assistance
Spain, as a former ally of national-socialist Germany first was denied admission
not only to political but also to economic international organisations of the Western
world. This was of significance for Spain in so far as the political stability of the
Franco regime depended on its economic prosperity, which in turn was conditional
on a flourishing trade particularly with the West-European economic area. In order
not to miss completely the chance of participating in the integration movement of
the West-European nations, growing more intensive in the 1950s, which would
have brought about massive economic disadvantages, Spain first approached the
Organization for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC). 4 When in the late
1950s Spain decided to apply first for association, then for full membership with
the OEEC, the Federal Republic proved to be a determined supporter of the Spanish
efforts. Whereas other European countries still were sceptical about an association
of Spain, the Federal Government pleaded already in 1956 for the full membership,
even if this was first put off in favour of a more realistic association. 5 The
Federal Government was not willing to consider Franco’s system of government as
an obstacle to Spain’s integration. “There is no obvious cause for giving up this line
for political reasons”. 6 However it seems that the Germans did not fail completely
4. Spain's first official dealings with this organisation resulted from an invitation in 1955 to participate in
the OEEC activities in the field of agriculture and food. On this episode and Spain’s participation in the
so-called Green Pool initiative for establishing a European Agricultural Community, see F. GUIRAO,
Spain and the Green Pool: Challenge and Response, 1950 to 1955, in: R.T.GRIFFITHS and B. GIR-
VIN (eds.), The Green Pool and the Origins of the Common Agricultural Policy, Bloomsbury, 1995,
pp.261-288. On motives and stages of the Spanish OEEC-policy, which cannot be dealt with in detail
here, see F. GUIRAO, Spain and the Reconstruction of Western Europe, op.cit., pp.131 ff.
5. On the position of the German government representatives to the OEEC on Spanish integration, see
Bundesarchiv (BA) B 102/11150: “Bericht zur chronologischen Entwicklung der Beteiligung Spaniens
an den Arbeiten der OEEC”, drawn up at the Federal ministry of Economy on 16 August 1956.
6. BA B 146/734: Letter to the German representation to the OEEC, 21 September 1956.