Encouragement in Europe

Modest but significant improvements to the operations of the European Economic Community have been approved by the 10 members and by Portugal and Spain, which will join in January. That is encouraging evidence of the vitality and utility of the Common Market.

That narrow nationalist interests blocked substantial moves to further unify the Western Europeans is stark evidence of the complex task of giving up the rule of unanimity in favor of majority rule. But there were agreements to reduce the use of national vetoes, to speed the process of tearing down the last of the trade barriers that frustrate community commerce and to enhance slightly the authority of the European Parliament.

The amendments will be the first since the Treaty of Rome came into effect in 1958, establishing the historic association of European nations. The experience since then has been marked by some disappointments, but more progress than most were prepared to predict. There is now an unprecedented political consultation among the Community members, and a new recognition of the importance of greatly expanded industrial and technological cooperation. This has contributed, in the 40 years since war last ravaged Europe, to an erosion of old jealousies and hostilities. The change makes the prolongation of peace the more likely.