Note from the editors

Citation

(2005), "Note from the editors", European Business Review, Vol. 17 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/ebr.2005.05417fab.007

Note from the editors

A sad farewell

One morning in 1999 – I picked up the telephone and out of the blue a voice asked me if New European was interested in the idea of being published by MCB University Press in Bradford, now, of course, Emerald. It was Keith Howard, then head of the company. I think I said I was honoured by his suggestion and perhaps we might arrange a meeting between our directors and theirs. The outcome was that Sir Richard Body, Kathryn Toledano and myself found ourselves sitting down together at lunch in the House of Commons. We did not wish to sell the journal but we were happy to arrange for MCB to publish it and for me to remain as Editor. Later that burden was shared by Aidan Rankin.

The aim of the journal was to look at the situation in Western Europe realistically. We believed that to try to impose an idealistic structure from the top upon the very diverse countries of Europe was going to destroy our chances of achieving the true cooperation and peace which was so fervently desired by the countries ravaged by the Second World War. Sir Richard Body and I had developed the idea of “A Europe of Many Circles” over frequent suppers in the “canteen” in the House of Commons and he wrote a book with that title and I wrote a pamphlet and the very first editorial on that theme. We believed that there were policies that the members of what was then called the European Economic Community could commit themselves to with the full support of their parliaments and peoples. It was not just Europe a la carte. A body of such policies would grow up over time which would provide a sure foundation for what was later to be called the European Community. Although this was our basic aim and hope, we wanted to give expression to the widest possible range of views on the future of Europe.

In the 1980s the idea was not quick to catch on. The word Europe seemed to evoke a sense of boredom. This was unfortunate and in the 1990s it was decided to combine New European and the European Business Review. Perhaps this would help to create a new interest in the subject. We worked with a succession of wonderful people at MCB as it was transforming itself into Emerald and moving fully into the electronic age of the twenty-first century. The response was not as good as might have been hoped.

With much sadness and regret we are going to set New European up once again as an independent journal concentrating on the real European issues which we think are of vital interest tour our people and our businesses separately from Emerald, although I am sure that the links we have forged over the years will never entirely disappear. And perhaps after the French and Dutch “No” votes on the Constitution a new interest in Europe will emerge and we invite all those who have shared our concerns to keep contact with our office in London.

This is the last issue of New European to be published by Emerald Group Publications Limited. Future issues will be published by a new think tank, the Leopold Kohr Foundation. For more details, please contact Aidan Rankin. Tel: +44 (0) 207 278 9022; E-mail: aidan.rankin@ukonline.co.uk.