European Coal and Steel Community
The rivalry betweenGermanyandFrancebrought about three open wars between the two countries inmodern history. (12)
France wanted to takeadvantage of the favourable political circumstances following the Second World War. After all,Francewas a part of the Allied forces that had defeated the Nazis.Germanywas occupied, and its discredited political and moral posi-tion gaveFrancean opening to shape and direct events in Western Europe withoutGreat Britain, albeit with some support from theUS.
The occupation ofWest Germanycould not last forever. Therefore, the Western Allies established the International Ruhr Authority in 1949. Its aim was to control the production and distribution of coal, coke, and steel in theRuhrregion, in order to control West German heavy industry. The economy ofWest Germany started to recover, and there were certain signs that the country was looking for greater independence. The questions that the Allies were facing were, on the one hand, how to permit the development of the mighty West German manufacturing base in order to create a strong shield to withstand the first blow in the event of armed con ict with the Eastern bloc and, on the other hand, how to prevent the situation of a powerful West Germany again destabilising peace and security in Europe.
The solution was found in the Schuman Plan
The UNEconomic Commission forEuropewas asked bythe French government to prepare a report on trends in European steel production. The conclusion of the report was that the national investmentplans in European countries in the area of steel production were proportionately larger than would be justified by demand.
Therefore, uncoordinated national invest-ment in this industrywould creates overproduction (Economic Commission for Europe, 1949). Jean Monnet, a senior officer of the French government in the field of planning, made good use of these conclusions. He drafted a plan for the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC).
The political responsibility for its presentation was taken by the French foreign minister, Robert Schuman (Sidjanski, 1998, p. 6). Robert Schuman presented this plan for the creation of the ECSC on 9 May 1950. Instead of opting for the first federalist action that would embrace all economic aspects, Schuman and Monnet were realistic in restricting it to a limited area: the production of coal and steel. (13) In Schuman’s words: “The solidarity in the production thus established will make it plain that any war between France and Germanybecomes not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible” (Jansen, 1975, p. 36). In this unprecedented international cooperation project, France was ready to sacrifice some of its sovereigntyto a supranational (14) body, theECSC, which would manage a part of France’s economy, in order to obtain partial control of West German heavy industry.
Konrad Adenauer, the West German chancellor, saw a chance for his country to improve its subordinate position in the post-war period and to regain equality with other states, so he accepted the plan. The Schuman Plan was one of the biggest turning points in French history. In the past,France had always been looking for allies against Germany, either in the east (Polandand Russia) or in the south (Serbia).
After the Second World War any partnership with those countries was out of the question, at least during the Cold War division of Europe. Since coal and steel were the most important levers of economic growth and conventional warfare at the time, France decided to abandon a part of its sovereignty in those industries in order to penetrate the most important manufacturing industries in its former and secular mortal enemy,Germany. Italy and the Benelux countries accepted the negotiations with France and West Germany concerning sectoral integration; they signed the Treaty ofParis, which created the ECSC on 18 April 1951. The single original text of the treaty was written in French and deposited in the French government archives.
The objectives of the ECSC are stated in the Preamble of the Paris treaty. They include the maintenance of peace (mentioned three times in the Preamble), a substitution of old rivalries, an avoidance of bloody confflicts, and a determination to raise the standard of living. The ECSC was expected to contribute to economic expansion, the growth of employment, and a rising standard of living in the member states (Article 2).
The principles of the ECSC are given in Article 3. They include a regular supply in the common market, equal access to the sources of production for consumers in the Community, the prohibition of price discrimination and the need for an orderly expansion and modernisation of production. The High Authority is charged with implementing the Paristreaty (Article 8). It may: facilitate investment programmes (Article 54), establish a system of production quotas in the case of manifest crisis (Article 58), inffluence prices (Article 60), outlaw agreements that prevent, restrict or distort competition within the common market and authorise in advance any transaction that might directly or indirectly bring about a consolidation of industry (Articles 65 and 66), inspired by the French desire to block a reconcentration of West German coal and steel industries.
The treaty was to last for a period of 50 years from its entry into force (Article 97). After ratification, the Paristreaty became effective on 23 June 1952.(15) During the Paris treaty negotiations, objections were raised that the ECSC and its executive body, the High Authority, would avoid democratic control. A compromise was found in the creation of another body, the Council of Ministers, which was supposed to serve as a link between all national governments and the High Authority (Articles 26–8).
