The British Presence in the European Commission, 1973–1997: At the At the Margins of Europe
This paper examines the complex and sometimes contradictory role of British officials and politicians in the European Commission from 1973 to 1997. Despite the UK’s reputation as an “awkward partner” in the European Community (EC), British personnel during this period rose to occupy key roles within the Commission and made substantive contributions to European integration. Using a multi-archival approach as well as oral histories, this paper focuses on three key themes—motivations, contributions, and transformations. It explores why British officials joined the Commission, how they shaped its development and that of the Community, and how their experiences in Brussels reverberated back home, shaping public debates and fuelling pro-European activism. The analysis is structured around several case studies that cut across these themes, including of the role of the British in debates about EC regulations and also their involvement in expanding the Community’s influence as a global actor, particularly in response to the oil crises of the 1970s and 1980s. To borrow former Prime Minister John Major’s phrase, this was a period when the British were “at the heart of Europe,” even if the debates within and actions of their home government sometimes left the UK at the margins of the EC.
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This page was last updated on 15 May 2025
