Roy Jenkins and the European Commission Presidency, 1976 –1980: At the Heart of Europe (Security, Conflict and Cooperation in the Contemporary World)

Roy Jenkins Brought Great Talent To Europe's Top Job. He Played A Key Role In Re-launching European Monetary Integration, Winning The Right To Attend The New Global Summits, And Smoothing Greece's Path To Ec Membership. But He Fell Short Of Other Targets. Commission Reform Remained Elusive, As Did An Improvement Of The Uk's Troubled Relationship With The Ec. Indeed The Row Over Britain's Contribution To The Ec Budget, Meant That Britain's Position In Europe Was As Difficult When He Left Brussels As It Had Been When He Arrived. This Study Will Look At How Jenkins Approached His Role, Identifying His Priorities, Examining His Working Methods, And Exploring His Rapport With The European And International Statesmen With Whom He Had To Work. In The Process, The Book Will Shed Light On The Nature Of The Job, On Jenkins' Own Talents And Limitations, And On The European Community As It Struggled With The Global Economic Crisis Of The 1970s.-- Machine Generated Contents Note: 1. Introduction -- 2. The Very British Trajectory Of A Pro-european: Roy Jenkins And Europe Prior To 1976 -- 3. Preparing For Brussels: Priorities, Personalities, And Portfolios -- 4. Growing Into The Role: The Battle To Secure G7 Representation -- 5. Finding A Sense Of Direction: Jenkins And The Launch Of The European Monetary System -- 6. Reaching Out Beyond The Community: Enlargement And International Representation -- 7. The Search For A New Policy Priority: Commission Reform, Direct Elections, Agriculture, And Energy -- 8. The Curse Of British Politics: Thatcher, The British Budgetary Dispute, And The Lure Of Domestic Politics -- 9. Conclusions. N. Piers Ludlow. Includes Bibliography (pages 253-263) And Index. Roy Jenkins brought great talent to Europe's top job. He played a key role in re-launching European monetary integration, winning the right to attend the new global summits, and smoothing Greece's path to EC membership. But he fell short of other targets. Commission reform remained elusive, as did an improvement of the UK's troubled relationship with the EC. Indeed the row over Britain's contribution to the EC budget, meant that Britain's position in Europe was as difficult when he left Brussels as it had been when he arrived. This study will look at how Jenkins approached his role, identifying his priorities, examining his working methods, and exploring his rapport with the European and international statesmen with whom he had to work. In the process, the book will shed light on the nature of the job, on Jenkins' own talents and limitations, and on the European Community as it struggled with the global economic crisis of the 1970s.-- Provided by publisher