Community Economic Relations with Associated African States and Other Countries

Associated with the six European countries in the European Economic Community, or Common Market, are a number of independent states in Africa and Madagascar. At the time of the negotiation of the Treaty of Rome, these states were, for the most part, dependent overseas territories of the European countries—especially of France, who had to reconcile her membership in the European Economic Com munity with the economic system in operation between metro politan France and the overseas dependencies. The system of association which became part of the Treaty of Rome was designed to establish a commercial preference for the benefit of the associated countries and territories and to assist them in their infrastructural social and economic development through investment aid from the Community. During the first five-year period of the Common Market, 1958-1962, many of the associated territories became sovereign and inde pendent states. In 1962 negotiations took place in Brussels among the governments of the associated states in Africa and Madagascar and the Six. Just before the end of the year, a convention—undoubtedly an improvement over the previous system—was initialed. The challenge which now faces the European Economic Community is whether or not the system provided under the new convention can be extended to other countries in Africa and the West Indies.