Relations Between the Spanish Central State and Other Domestic Actors During the EC Accession Negotiations

Abstract

The focus of the chapter is Spain’s negotiations for accession to the EC from 1979 to 1986. In addition to studying the role of the central state at EC level, it examines the input to the negotiating process of other domestic actors in Spain. Most analyses of the accession negotiations rest on the premise of the overwhelming consensus in Spanish society regarding EC entry and the high level of autonomy and initiative retained by central government. This assumption is tested to determine whether an approach lending greater importance to the interaction between the EC and domestic arenas allows a more complete analysis of the accession process.