ABSTRACT
Britain seemed in a stronger position to apply for European Community (EC) entry in 1970 than had been the case in 1961 or 1967. In contrast to the attitudes of the Macmillan period, it was accepted by Edward Heath that Britain could not renegotiate the Treaty of Rome or expect the six original members of the Community to alter their existing policies, such as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The economic side, he believed that Britain could only become more competitive and secure higher growth by entering the common market, a belief shared by most large companies in the Confederation of British Industry. The European Communities Act received royal assent on 17 October 1972 and British membership took effect on 1 January 1973. Only two days after the royal assent, Heath went to an EC summit called by Pompidou, to which the other new entrants, Denmark and Ireland, were also invited.
