This article focuses on the Portuguese application for membership to the European Economic Commu-nity, seeking to demonstrate that Por-tuguese accession was delayed as a result of the simultaneity of Portugal and Spain’s accession negotiations. It also analyses the fact that although Member States were theoretically in favour of further enlargement, they dealt with the process at their own pace, and in accordance with their own spe-cific requirements; we therefore show how the interests of the Member States conditioned the accession process.

Keywords:
European Economic Community, Iberian enlargement, Portugal, Spain