Archive

Large scale document archive

1989 Nov 16 - 1990 Apr 30
Prime Ministerial Private Office files

PREM19/2982
European Policy (European Monetary System (EMS): economic and monetary union) (Part 6) [part 5 is PREM19/3741]

Source: TNA, PREM19 series
Release date: 2016 Dec 30
Classification: Secret
Page count: 393
Themes: Monetary policy, European Union (general), Economic, monetary & political union

PREM19/2982 - download whole file (PDF, 387.86 MB)

Selections from this file

Showing items 21 - 40 of 44

Date Value Title
90 Mar 19 Mo Major European Policy: UKREP Brussels telegram to FCO ("Economic and Monetary Union: Commission Paper for ECOFIN") [rejects UK proposals in favour of Delors approach] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Mar 23 Fr Major European Policy: Major minute for MT ("ECOFIN") [two main agenda items: German economic and monetary unification, the progress of EMU in the Community] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Mar 23 Fr Major European Policy: Treasury letter to No.10 ("Bérégovoy and EMU") [source claims that Bérégovoy had told Mitterrand that EMU as defined in the Delors Report would not work and he would not participate in it] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Mar 28 We Major European Policy: Sir Michael Butler letter to MT ("Second Stage of EMU") [enclosing paper on "The Next Stage in an Evolutionary Approach to Monetary Union] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Mar 29 Th Major European Policy: No.10 record of conversation ("Exchange Rate Mechanism") [MT, Major bilateral - timetable for membership of ERM; interest rates expected to rise; MT: "we cannot contemplate joining the mechanism in these circumstances"; JM: agrees but "important to consider carefully in the near future the options for the date of joining"] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Mar 29 Th Major European Policy: No.10 record of conversation (MT, John Major) [agreed that conditions for joining EMS not yet met; Major wanted consideration in "near future", issue closely related to preparations for IGC; sterling in the markets] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Apr 4 We Major European Policy: No.10 record of conversation ("European Monetary Issues") [MT bilateral with Major; MT - "if other member states decide to take such steps that is their concern, but the UK should make clear that it is not prepared to participate in the process"] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Apr 5 Th Major European Policy: Valery Giscard d'Estaing letter to MT (proposals to accelerate European Economic and Monetary Union) [joint initiative with Helmut Schmidt] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Apr 6 Fr Major European Policy: Treasury letter to Powell ("Second Stage of EMU: Letter from Sir Michael Butler") [offers draft reply to Butler; proposals "ingenious and well thought out"; Chancellor shortly to put his thoughts on EMU to MT] declassified Dec 2016]
90 Apr 6 Fr Major European Policy: Treasury minute for Powell ("Economic and Monetary Union") [latest draft of Chancellor's upcoming minute to MT] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Apr 9 Mo Major European Policy: John Major minute for MT ("Economic and Monetary Union") ["very startled at the attitude of our European partners...all of them were determined to agree a Treaty for full EMU"] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Apr 11 We Major European Policy: MT letter to Michael Butler (thanking for his paper on economic and monetary union) [happy to discuss in person] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Apr 17 Tu Key European Policy: Powell briefing for MT ("EMU") [meeting with the Chancellor; our evolutionary approach has run out of steam; options for handling EMU] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Apr 18 We Major European Policy: No.10 record of conversation (MT, John Major; Middleton, Wicks) [preliminary consideration of our approach to next phase of EMU discussion; Butler proposals to be worked up, need to "finesse attempts to impose a binding commitment to EMU"] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Apr 19 Th Major European Policy: Powell briefing for MT ("Meeting with Sir Michael Butler") [doubts Butler's proposals for Stage 2 of EMU would secure postponement of Stage 3] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Apr 19 Th Major European Policy: Treasury briefing for MT ("Sir Michael Butler's Paper on EMU") [technical flaws; Germans do not like it; encourage Butler and his group to think more] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Apr 20 Fr Major European Policy: No.10 record of conversation (MT, Sir Michael Butler) [City of London concerned to "remain the centre of monetary developments in Europe"; MT - "we could not pour ourselves into the Delors mould"] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Apr 23 Mo Major European Policy: Sir Michael Butler letter for MT ("EMU") [further thoughts on proposals for second stage of economic and monetary union] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Apr 23 Mo Major European Policy: No.10 letter to Treasury ("EMU") [MT requesting a note on the Spanish experience following the entry into the Exchange Rate Mechanism] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Apr 25 We Major European Policy: No.10 briefing for MT ("Obstacles to a Free Market in Financial Services in the EC") [Michael Scholar sees German measures as prudential rather covert exchange controls] [declassified Dec 2016]