This meeting took place at Spencer House in London. The opening speech was delivered by British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook who reflected on the UK’s ending presidency of the EU and the main challenge ahead for Europe: enlargement.
One of the Minister’s key messages was also that the EU needed to make its institutions more popular, accountable and legitimate.
The 1998 Plenary was divided into three sessions: the Economic and Monetary Union; New Labour’s Third Way and reform agenda; and enlargement.
During the traditional Friday dinner, Peter Mandelson outlined Britain’s hopes and ambitions for Europe. There was a long way to go for the UK, much to change, but the British government hoped in the course of the next ten years to play a role in Europe as significant as that of France or Germany.