Fifty years ago: Uniform European passport – colour & symbol stand in the way

This article from The Hindu archives, dated July 23, 1976, reports on the ongoing efforts by the nine Common Market countries to create a uniform European passport. Foreign ministers struggled with contentious issues including the passport's colour (a delicate shade of lilac was favored but disliked by the British), symbols (objected to by France and Germany), cover design, and language. These disputes highlighted the challenges of European unity. Separately, government heads agreed to create the first popularly elected European Parliament, replacing the current appointed body with limited power. To promote unity, 106 young women were hired to distribute leaflets at border crossings extolling Common Market achievements since 1958.