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The final communiqué made no mention of a date. Privately, however, the French representatives set the end of June as the deadline for talks to begin with Britain (as well as Ireland, Denmark and Norway, the other three nations that have applied for Common Market membership). Almost overlooked in the lively sparring over a timetable for British entry was a remarkable change in the French attitude toward the Market. The French,President urged a six-point program calling for "harmonized" foreign policies, mutual technological development and a monetary policy that would include a Common Market central bank for the gold and currency reserves of all its members. Pompidou's ambitious proposals are by no means likely to be realized in the near future, but they nevertheless represent a dramatic reversal of previous French policy. The change was enthusiastically welcomed by France's five partners. "We all have the good feeling," said West German Foreign Minister Walter Scheel, "that the Common Market can now overcome its stagnation and resume a more dynamic development."
Bigger Grocery Bills. Though many Britons, after eight long years of waiting, have changed their minds about joining the Common Market, Harold Wilson's government welcomed the outcome of last week's summit. The Hague meeting, however, did nothing to ease the concern of Britons that membership in the Market would sharply raise grocery bills as a result of farm supports and import levies. Aware that Britain might be called upon to pay as much as 50% of the Market's total farm subsidies for a few years, Wilson sought in the House of Commons last week to stifle what he described as "excessive optimism in this matter." Said the Prime Minister: "If the terms involve too high a price, I think all of us agree that it would be wrong to accept them." London's Sunday Express put the thought somewhat more bluntly with a cartoon showing a French diner sitting down to a meal in a restaurant. "Do you want to pay for the Frenchman's lunch?" asked the story that followed.
For a while, Britain may have to do just that. Before negotiations begin, the country must decide whether it is willing to foot the bill in exchange for long-term gains as a partner in a united Europe. That the decision lies with London this time rather than Paris, however, is a measure of how far the Common Market has progressed.