Records of European Departments of the Commonwealth Relations Office

Records of European Departments of the Commonwealth Relations Office relating to British relations with other European member of the Commonwealth.

Records of the Malta Department are in DO 202 and records of the Mediterranean Department are in DO 220

Topics

International

Europe and Russia

Before the first of Britain's colonial territories in Europe gained independence within the Commonwealth, there were no general departments within the Commonwealth Relations Office to deal with European matters solely. Business relating to defence organisations (particularly NATO), and to other international organisations such as the Council of Europe were dealt with by the General Divisions or the Defence Departments, while economic relations between the Commonwealth and economic organisations such as the European Free Trade Area and the European Economic Community (EEC) were handled by various of the Economic Divisions.

A separate Common Market Department was formed within the Economic Division in 1962 to deal with matters arising from the United Kingdom's attempt to join the EEC, but this was disbanded after the failure of that attempt.

Cyprus was declared independent in August 1960, but no new department was established to handle relations with the new republic, and these continued to be handled by various general departments. Following Malta's independence in September 1964, a Malta Department was established to deal with matters relating to the islands, within a newly formed Mediterranean, South Asia and Defence Division. This also included a Mediterranean Department which for the first time dealt exclusively with relations with Cyprus.

Within a year, the Malta Department was abolished and its functions absorbed into the Mediterranean Department, which from September 1965 formed part of a new Far East and Mediterranean Division. This arrangement continued until August 1966 when the Commonwealth Relations Office and the Colonial Office were amalgamated to form the Commonwealth Office.