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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, January 2, 1981
Page 10
Ministers will now have 10 members--which will make it that much more
difficult to reach unanimous agreement on major issues, especially any
thing to do with Turkey. On lesser issues, where decisions are taken by
qualified majority, Greece will have five votes out of a total of 63. The
number of votes necessary to make a decision will be raised from 41 to 45."
There will also be an EC Commissioner from Greece at the Commission head
quarters in Brussels--raising the total number of Commissioners to 14.
This will not facilitate decision-making either. A committee of "Three
Wise Men" is currently studying what institutional changes will be needed
to take account of the entry not only of Greece, but also of Spain and
Portugal so that the Community can continue to function efficiently.
The heartland countries of the EC--West Germany, France, Italy--are
naturally concerned over the Community's shift to the poorer south of
Europe. Politically the move has advantages. A more stable Greece and
Turkey helps shore up Europe's southern flank. But many social and eco
nomic problems are expected.
Will
citizens of all the poorer members,
for example, be able to circulate freely throughout the entire Community,
having the right to work in any country they please, enjoying full work
and welfare benefits and the complete range of social and educational
rights?
Already, in northern and central member states afflicted with sluggish
economies, there are growing negative reactions to the "guest workers"
from some of these same countries. Little wonder some EC policy thinkers
are now talking about a future two-tiered community, composed first of all
of those members having full status and right of movement for their citi
zens, and secondly, a permanent association status for the other countries.
These would enjoy sharing EC political decision-making power, but migration
of their nationals would be stringently controlled.
--Gene H. Hogberg, News Bureau