The legal and institutional foundations of this policy are addressed first; the evolution of this policy over fifteen years is then briefly analysed; its successes and shortcomings are described in connection with the recent NPT Review and Extension Conference, where its strengths and weaknesses, its possibilities and constraints came into sharp relief; finally, some conclusions are drawn from these experiences and some suggestions made for the further development of European policy.
Troisièmement, et c'est là que le bât blesse, ce domaine nous a confrontés à des divergences profondes et à des conflits d'intérêt qui menacent à tout moment de lézarder les fondations même de notre politique commune.