Three-Twentieths of the Way

The leading nations of Western Europe cracked a historical nut last week by agreeing to set up a "Council of Europe." The Council is far from, the goal of federation in which the nations would actually yield up some of their sovereignty to a central body. Yet it is a start.

In the beginning, Britain, France and the three Benelux nations will compose the Council. Others will be invited to join. The Council will consist of government ministers meeting in secret and a "consultative body" meeting in public. The body of ministers will control the agenda of the lower deliberative chamber, and in general will exercise the real power.

How the ministers conduct their voting to reach decisions has not been settled. If they require a unanimous vote, no advance will have been made on the key sovereignty issue; but if they abide by a two-thirds or a majority vote, then there will be a supra-government among nations. For the consultative body, each nation will elect its delegates as it sees fit.

Said a Frenchman who attended the meeting of the five foreign ministers in London that agreed on the new Council: "We did not get exactly what we wanted--an unfettered assembly that could use public opinion to obtain European federation. That would have covered about one-fifth of the way toward federation. What we got in London is about three-quarters of that one-fifth."

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