European Atlantic Group

The European-Atlantic Group was founded in London in 1954 by Michael John Layton, 2nd Baron Layton (1912 - 1989) (then a Vice-President of the Council of Europe), Elma Dangerfield (then a journalist for the Guardian), together with other members of both Houses of Parliament, Industrialists, Bankers, Economists, and Journalists. Its main object was to promote closer relations between the European and Atlantic countries by providing a regular forum in Britain for informed discussion of their problems and possibilities for better economic and political co-operation.

The Founders stated that their purpose was to disseminate authoritative information concerning the work of International Organizations such as the Council of Europe, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Western European Union, the European Coal and Steel Community, Euratom, the European Economic Community, as well as the European Free Trade Association, the Association for General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs, and the Economic Commission for Europe.

In addition to holding monthly dinners and meetings in London, the group sent many delegations abroad to study at first hand the European and NATO institutions in Brussels, Paris, and Luxembourg, as well as visiting Germany, Italy, Turkey, and Greece, as the guests of governments and International Organizations. Group representatives have also visited the United States, the Soviet Union and theEastern Bloc with the object of improving relations between West and East.

The Group has also held Discussions on European-Atlantic relations with the rest of the world, including the Middle East, Far East, and Latin American countries.

In 1989 the Group's London office was at 6 Gertrude Street, Chelsea. The President was the Rt.Hon. The Earl of Bessborough, D.L.,(a Founder), and there was an impressive list of Vice-Presidents, including the Marquess of Lansdowne, the Earl of Limerick, the Earl Jellicoe, The Lord Carrington, The Lord Chalfont, The Lord Shawcross, The Lord Granchester. Sir Nicholas Henderson, Sir Frederic Bennett, Sir Fitzroy Maclean, Bt., General Sir Harry Tuzo, and Douglas Fairbanks junior. The Chairman was the Rt.Hon. Geoffrey Rippon, Lord Rippon of Hexham, Q.C., Vice-Chairmen were Sir Antony Buck, Q.C., M.P., and Sir W Hugh-Jones. The Hon.Director was Mrs Elma Dangerfield, O.B.E.

At their Banquet (24 April 1989) in the Guildhall, London, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of NATO, the guests-of-honour and speakers were HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, K.G., Herr Manfred Woerner, Secretary-General of NATO, and General John Galvin, US Army, Supreme Allied Commander in Europe.

People

Trustees 2005

• Mr Christopher Arkell | Princess Helena Gagarin-Moutafian, MBE | Sir Philip Goodhart

Vice Chairmen 2005

• Geoffrey Clifton Brown MP | The Rt. Hon. Menzies Campbell CBE QC MP | The Rt. Hon. Lord Radice

Treasurers 2005

• The Lord Layton | Harold Sands | Geoffrey Smith

Committee 2005

• The Lord Abinger, Co-Founder of E-AG | Colin Baker Finance Officer | The Rt Hon Lord Blaker KCMG | Frank Cook MP | Sir Robin Fearn KCMG | David Griffiths TD | Dr Uwe Kitzinger CBE | Sir Peter Marshall KCMG | Mrs Valerie Mitchell OBE | Robert Newell LVO | Sir John Osborn | Admiral of the Fleet Sir Julian Oswald GCB | Hon Edward Streator | Christopher Robson | Sir Neville Trotter | Lord Temple-Morris

Former members

• Robert Worcester, former board member
• Lord Judd

Corporate members and sponsors 2005

Adolphe Bentinck Memorial Prize | Advanced Systems International Ltd | AEA Industrial Technology | Alvis Plc | Berrymans Lace Mawer | British Aerospace | British Nuclear Industry Forum | B.S.C. Consulting

C.A.L. Futures Ltd | C.M.A. Hotel Group

Clyde & Co

Cooper Gay Holdings | Coopers & Lybrand | Crowell & Moring | De Verney Brooke Taylor | Deep Sea Seals

Deloitte & Touche | Deutsche Bank AG | DMC Equipment Ltd | Dresdner Bank AG | EPPA UK | Equitable Life Assurance Society | Firmin & Sons Plc

Ferranti Thomson Sonar Systems UK Ltd

Fred Olsen Ltd

G.C. Lucas & Co Ltd

G.E.C. Marconi

G.K.N.

G.P.Wild (International) Ltd

Hombesco UK Ltd

Invesco Europe Ltd

J. Henry Shroder & Co.

Joseph Miller & Sons

KPMG Peat Marwick McLintock

Marshall Ross & Prevezer

Merrill Lynch Group

Multiservice Properties Ltd

N.

National Westminster Bank

National Geographic Channel

NATO Northwood

O.

Oxford Analytica

P. Q.

P & JB & Co

Phibro Energy

Production Inc

Polar Shipping

Pridie Brewster

• QinetiQ Ltd (Formerly DERA)

R.

Racal Group Services

Raychem Ltd

Regent House Properties

Rigden and Associates

Rolls Royce

Royal College of Defence Studies

S.

Sal Oppenheim Jr & Cie

Sambar International

Samuel Montagu & Co

SBC Warburg

Schroder Charity

Trust Securities

Smurfit Ltd STC

Technology Ltd

T.

The Tokyo Electric Power Co

The Uranium Institute

Toshiba Medical Systems

Turner International Network Sales

U

United Kingdom Nirex Ltd

W

W.F. Marshall & Partners

W.K. Webster & Co

W.S. Atkins Manufacturing & Process Industries

WestLB (UK) Ltd

World Nuclear Association

Source

References

1. Elma Dangerfield A Brief History of The European-Atlantic Group EAG Website (from the Web Archive).

• European-Atlantic Group Reports, 1954-1989, London. 1989.