La mirada de la Comision Europea sobre la adhesion de España en la CEE, 1973-1985

This essay claims that the EEC turned the challenge of the Iberian enlargement into an opportunity to relaunch the European project. The text focuses on illuminating the role of the under researched Francois -Xavier Ortoli and Roy Jenkins Commission . The common thread of the story is made up of the analysis of the work carried out by the commissioner for the enlargement, the italian Lorenzo Natali. He was the first commissioner in seeing the Iberian enlargement as a stimulus to overcome the break following the first enlargement. The text shows the link established between the southern enlargement and the establishment of a European monetary system, the completion of the Single Market, the reinforcement of the international role of the EEC and above all a political and institutional reform able to guarantee the Community to work with 12 member-states.