Od neuznání ke společné deklaraci: Československo, RVHP a Evropské společenství v období 1980–1989
From non-recognition to the joint declaration: Czechoslovakia, COMECON and the European Community, 1980-1989

Summary/Abstract: The article analyses the relations between Czechoslovakia, the Council of Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON), and the European Community (EC) in the period from 1980 to 1989. Specifi cally, it examines the following key questions: What were the attitudes of the above-stated actors toward their mutual recognition and establishment of offi cial relations? What were their motives influencing the definition of their positions? What was the importance of mutual trade for individual actors? How were the trade negotiations conducted? Finally, what factors and in what way influenced the resulting consensus leading to the signing of the Joint Declaration? The author argues that the EC and Comecon have not confirmed a strong interest during the first half of the 80s to cross the boundaries delimited by their differing ideologies. They had maintained the status quo and let the relations be dominated by procedural, organizational, protocolar, and legal questions until 1984. A growing economic crisis in the Comecon countries and the start of Michail Gorbachev term as the leader of the Soviet Communnist Party provided a key impuls for resuming the recognition negotiations. Despite of the minimalist nature of the resulting document – the Joint Declaration of 1988 – a new phase of the EC-Comecon relations was opened. During the short pre-1989 period the Declaration was effectively used by Brussels to reward the reforming Comecon members and send a clear message that the political and economic reforms will become the key indicator guiding the level of future mutual relations between Brussels and the socialist block.

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