Changing the Guard in Brussels: An Insider’s View of the EC Presidency

12 European powers, most of whom have had a taste of global dominion in the past, are understandable reluctant to forsake their traditional sovereignity. But a process is under way that is beginning to acquire a new momentum, especially with the 1992 deadline so close. This is an appraisal of the institutions of the European Community as seen by someone familiar with the daily activity of the Council of Ministers. It deals with reality and results from personal experience, not from an academic study. By 1992, all European Economic Community internal barriers are slated to come down, ensuring the free flow of persons, goods and capital. European union, if ever achieved, will have profound political, economic and security consequences for the world at large.