European coal and Steel Community
The significance of the European Coal and Steel CommunityFollowing the Second World War, many European countries if not almost all, were literally wiped out. The result of the activities of the Third Reich had left Europe's political system of nation states dismantled and devastated and most importantly, the European economy lay disrupted in ruins. In result to this, there was a wave of new ideas in Europe, namely to start over, and to avoid going through such an experience. Prominent to this vague striving for a new Europe, was the concept of federalism, of some kind of political union. Many were the efforts of integrating Europe, but one of the most important ones was The Shuman Plan, proposing the European Coal and Steel Community. In the paragraphs that follow, I will explain The Shuman Plan, as well as the European Coal and steel Community and its importance in European integration.The Shuman Plan takes its name from France's foreign minister Robert Shuman. In his May 9th 1950 Declaration, we find the following: "The French government proposes to take action immediately on one limited but decisive poin
" The ECSE was the first organization to promise a future where Europe would integrate thus influencing the creation of other important organizations such as the EEC, which is now more commonly known as the European Union. The first president of the High Authority was Jean Monnet, who welcomed the chance to ensure that the ECSE worked according to plan, and to promote further developments. The perpetual conflicts of North and South Korea resulting to war also brought a high demand for steel, "but no spare capacity for increased production either in US or Europe. National ratification followed quickly with the Treaty of Paris on April 18th, 1951. The European Coal And Steel Community was now born under the consent of all its signatories except Britain who rejected the proposal due to the fact that a neutral High Authority seated in Luxembourg was exercising the Executive Control. "Except for the concrete reason of unifying France and Germany under an industrial framework, there were other important reasons for creating the ECSE. to place Franco-German production of coal and steel under a High Authority, within the framework of an organization open to the participation of other countries of Europe. "The Shuman Plan offered a way of bringing spare capacity back into production while still maintaining a level of political control over the uses made of the end product. Six governments agreed to meet and discuss the plan: France, England, the three Benelux countries and Italy. This executive was the High Authority, with nine members including one from each community.
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