- 1952: European Steel and Coal Community (Treaty of Paris)
Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman were both convinced that Europe needed to be united if it was to develop long-term stability and peace and discover economically. In May 1950 the “Schuman declaration” was the first step towards a united Europe with a French German reconciliation at its heart. The basis for building this new Europe was the building of a supranational regime in a concrete economic area. In April 1951 not only France and Germany, but also Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Italy signed the Treaty of Paris that established the European Coal and Steel Community. Its operation started in July 1952 and ran until 2002 when its activities and responsibilities were formally transferred to the European Community.
The ECSC laid the foundations for a common market based on the materials that were must needed to restructure the economy in the member states: coal, coke, iron ore, steel and scrap. It marks a very significant step in European history since it represents the first European inter-state organisation with clear supranational characteristics: tariff barriers and state subsidies were banned and external commercial policies were harmonised.
As the European Union today, the ECSC was structured through several institutions:
- the High Authority “To ensure that the objectives set out in this treaty are attained in accordance with the provisions thereof” (Article 8, ECSC Treaty)
- The Council of Ministers’ task was it to bring the actions of the High Authority in line with those of the governments
- The Common Assembly was meant to provide a democratic input (however, members were not elected but sent by their respective governments)
- The Court of Justice was supposed to settle conflicts between different institutions or states
- The Consultative Committee’s role was purely advisory
