The negotiations for Spain's accession to the Community were formally opened in Brussels on 5 February 1979. This step towards further enlargement of the Community follows the membership application submitted by the Spanish Government on 28 July 1977, the favourable opinion delivered by the Commission on 29 November 1978 and the Council Decision of 19 December 1978 scheduling the opening of negotiations for February. At this ministerial meeting in February the Community delegation was led by Jean François-Poncet, French Minister for Foreign Affairs and President of the Council. The Commission was represented by Roy Jenkins, President of the CEC, and Lorenzo Natali, Vice-President of the CEC in charge of Enlargement, Protection of the Environment, Nuclear Safety, Contacts with Member Governments and Public Opinion on Preparation for Direct Elections to the European Parliament. The Spanish delegation was led by Marcelino Oreja, Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, and also included Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo, Spanish Minister for Relations with the European Communities, and Raimundo Bassols, Head of the Mission of Spain to the EC. The ceremonial opening of the negotiations took place in a particularly positive atmosphere, and it was agreed that the Ministers' deputies would hold a first meeting before the summer 1979 in order to work out the timetable and procedure for the negotiations proper, which are to begin after the summer.