Catalogue description Department of Trade; and Department of Trade and Industry: European Commercial and Industrial Policy Division, predecessors and successors: Registered Files (ECIP Series)

Western European and General (WEG) Division replaced the General Division in 1980. Its main responsibilities were for internal European Community policy, enlargement negotiations and preferential trade agreements, bilateral commercial relations with Western European governments, policy briefing on general Community issues such as the CAP, the Budget, Community legislation etc.

A departmental re-organisation following the creation in 1983 of the Department of Trade and Industry led to changes to International Trade and Community Policy work. It was divided into Internal Trade Policy (ITP) Division, and European Commercial and Industrial Policy (ECIP) Division. ECIP took over WEG Division's responsibilities, in addition to EC commercial and industrial aspects of enlargement, the development of the internal market, UK's rights and obligations under the European Treaties, the Community's agreements with EFTA, the development of the EC and OECD research, science and technology activity.

Following an internal re-organisation of ECIP Division in 1986, it was renamed European Policy (EP) Division. Its main responsibilities remained unchanged, but included the application of State Aid rules and handling UK aid notifications, Commission and UK industry enquiries, the Anglo / German Foundation, EC Sectoral policies, circulation and co-ordination of EC documents, and guidance on EC deregulation and infraction proceedings.

By 1994 the division had been renamed European Community and Trade Relations (ECTR) Division. Its responsibilities were for EC policy, including trade relations with EC/EFTA, European Economic Area (EEA), North America on problems arising from the exercise of extra-territorial jurisdiction, the former Soviet Union, Central and Eastern Europe.