European Coal and Steel Community

 

The European Coal and Steel Community[1][1] was an international organisation signed by six nations, seeking to unite Western Europe during the period of the Cold War.  The European Coal and Steel Community (The ECSC) was established under the Treaty of Paris 1951 was the first international treaty organization that was not only based on the ideologies of supranationalism[2][2], but it gradually evolved to becoming part of the European Union.  It was based on the principles on a ‘common market, common objectives and common institutions’[3][3].  The ECSC treaty generates the structure of the production and allocation arrangement for coal and steel. It also provides a sovereign institutional system to manage it.  Although it is limited to just coal and steel production during its existence, the ECSC had a significant effect on prime political and economic developments in Europe. The mission of the ECSC was for member states to contribute economic development to each other and to improve and develop living standards of member states through the institution.

    The collective market for coal started operating on 10^th February 1953 while the market for steel began operation on the 1^st May 1953[4][4].  Six years after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaties_of_RomeTreaties of Rome were also signed by the six founding members of the ECSC, initiating the European Economic Community (EEC. Rome, March 25^th 1957) and the European Atomic Energy Community (March 25^th 1957). These Communities were partly based, with some modification, on the ECSC.  Unlike the Treaty of Paris which expired fifty years after it’s signing, the Treaties of Rome were to be in effect for an indefinite period.

 

 

These two new Communities worked on the creation of a customs union and atomic energy community respectively.^[1] The Rome

 

treaties were hurried through just before de Gaulle seized power and proclaimed the Fifth Republic.^{[citation needed]} Despite his efforts to

 

'chloroform' the Communities, their fields rapidly expanded and the EEC became the most important tool for political unification,

 

overshadowing the ECSC.^[1]

 

 

 

 

The European Coal and Steel Community Treaty creates the background and conditions of “production and distribution arrangements for coal and steel and sets up an autonomous institutional system to manage it. Although its sphere of activity is limited to the two branches of industry, the European Coal and Steel Community had a crucial impact on major economic and political developments in Europe for almost fifty years”

 

  

 

 

[1]. The European Coal and Steel Community

 

 

[2] was an international organisation signed by six nations, seeking to unite Western Europe during the period of the Cold War.  The members of the ECSC were

 

 

 - France

 

 

 -Belgium

 

 

 

 -Luxembourg

 

 

 

  -Germany

 

 

 

  -The Netherlands

 

 

 

  -Italy

 

 

 The ECSC was established under the Treaty of Paris 1951. It was the first international treaty organisation that was not only based on the ideologies of supranationalism

 

[3], but it gradually evolved to becoming part of the European Union. The foundation of the ECSC was as well as creating a substantial economic area, it was also based on the principles on a ‘common market, as above and common objectives and common institutions’

 

 

   

 

[4].   The ECSC treaty generates the structure of the production and allocation arrangement for coal and steel. It also provides a sovereign institutional system to manage it.  Although it is limited to just coal and steel production during its existence, the ECSC had a significant effect on prime political and economic developments in Europe. The mission of the ECSC was for member states to contribute economic development to each other and to improve and develop living standards of member states through the institution.

    The collective market for coal started operating on 10th February 1953 whilst the market for steel began operation on the 1st May 1953

[5].  Six years after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, the Treaties of Rome were also signed by the six founding members of the ECSC, initiating the

European Economic Community

(EEC. Rome, March 25th 1957) and the

 

 

 

 

European Atomic Energy Community

 

 

  (March 25th 1957). These Communities were partly based, with some modification, on the ECSC.  Unlike the Treaty of Paris which expired fifty years after its signing, the Treaties of Rome were to be in effect for an indefinite period.

 

  “This treaty provided for a High Authority, a supranational collegiate executive made up of 9 members, a Council of Ministers representing the 6 governments which was to co-ordinate the decisions made by this High Authority with the economic policies of the Member States, a Court if Justice and a Joint assembly designated by the national parliaments”

 

[6].  The ECSC accomplished success in the aspects of “rapid expansion in trade and production, the modernisation of equipment made in social action”

 

    [7].   The Treaty establishing the ECSC, which was the functional quintessence of the declaration on Robert Schuman, was signed for a time of fifty years. It was enforced on July 23rd 1952 and it expired on July 23rd, 2002. By merging the coal and steel sectors, the ECSC develop into the groundwork in the production of a “united, peaceful, prosperous and mutually supportive Europe”

[8]. Hence, the sculpt of the ECSC has become the model for the creation of other Community organisations; “characterised by their supranational nature, headed by an autonomous decision-making procedure, and by independent institutions”

 

[9] these were granted the supremacy and the influence necessary to make this system successful.

 

 

 

 

________________________________________

 

[1]Europa. Expiry of the ECSC Treaty: General Background to the ECSC. (Online) Date Accessed 19th February 2009. Available at http://europa.eu/ecsc/results/index_en.htm

 

[2]Refer to the European Coal and Steel Community as ECSC in the remaining parts of the essay.

 

[3] European Organization. European Union; Constituent Instruments (Founding Treaties). Treaty Establishing European Coal and Steel Community (Paris, 18th April 1951). (Online). Date Accessed 6th December 2008. Available at http://www.ena.lu/

 

[4]IBID.

 

[5]IBID.

 

[6]The Shuman Declaration.  Archives and Heritage: The ECSC. (Online) Date Accessed 19th February 2009. Available at https://pastel.diplomatie.gouv.fr/editorial/archives.gb/dossiers/schuman/module04.html

 

[7]IBID

 

[8]European Navigator. The Expiry of the ECSC Treaty. (Online) Date Accessed 19th February 2008. Available at http://www.ena.lu/

[9]IBID