Development and Change

Abstract

The Six set themselves economic and political targets. People in the United Kingdom and elsewhere viewed these at first with scepticism and then with trepidation as they were achieved or surpassed. Some of the targets had a time-scale attached. The first major objective, without which the others could not be achieved, was to form a customs union. There was a wide diversity of customs tariffs on imports into and between the six countries. They tended to be low into Germany and the Benelux countries and high into Italy and France. The Six aimed at abolishing these differences within 12 years from 1958. They wanted all duties on the movement of goods within the Community abolished. They would then set up a common customs tariff (a CCT) on goods entering the Six from abroad. They achieved this ahead of schedule. In 1968, customs duties within the six states were abolished. They then established a common external tariff on all goods entering the Community from non-member states. As the stages towards the successful accomplishment of this target were completed, those outside the Community became more keenly aware that they would eventually be forced into a very uncompetitive position in their major European markets because their goods would have to overcome the CCT.