Hallstein Commission
The EEC Commission Hallstein I (10 January 1958-9. January 1962 ) was the first Commission of the European Economic Community, which was formed as a result of the so-called Treaty of Rome of 25 March 1957.
History
To achieve the objectives of the Treaty, the Heads of State and Government of the signatory countries agreed to set up a commission whose task should be to " ensure the proper functioning and development of the common market " and to make new proposals for European integration. The commissioners should enjoy complete independence of instructions of their respective governments.
As a first Commission President Germany struck with support of France, but with Louis Armand was allowed to ask the President of the new Euratom Commission, at the Foreign Ministers' Conference on January 7, 1958 before the previous German State Secretary Walter Hallstein. He was confirmed by the foreign ministers. The first meeting of the new Commission took place on 16 January 1958 at the Val Duchesse castle in Brussels.
The Commission's objective was to accelerate the integration of national economies to come on economic union closer to a political community. Basis for this was the so-called Hallstein plan that wanted to realize with the consent of national governments, the business community more quickly than in the EEC Treaty planned. An important success here was the slow approximation of national agricultural markets ( but still a large number of exceptions and special rules existed ). On July 30, 1962 joint EEC agricultural policy for certain products could be decided.
The ratio of the EEC to third states, formed the foundation of the EFTA in response to the tariff reduction within the EEC a challenge ( Western) Europe was thus divided into two trading blocs and it was up to the Commission to seek a balance. Furthermore, fell into the office of the Commission, the association negotiations with Greece and 18 African countries, tariff negotiations in the GATT, in which the Commission proposed a 20% reduction in tariffs and the creation of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Assistance ( OECD) with the EEC as a founding member.
The failure of negotiations on an EEC accession of Great Britain to the opposition of the French President Charles de Gaulle in January 1963, the worst crisis in the office of the Commission dar. On January 14, de Gaulle told a news conference his refusal to British accession plans. With his veto, he surprised the Commission and five other partners in the community. On January 28, negotiations were postponed indefinitely because of special requests Britain's agricultural market.
For his work at the Commission, Walter Hallstein was awarded on May 11, 1961 in Aachen Charlemagne Prize.
Composition
The Commission consisted of nine members, including the president and three vice-presidents. France, Germany and Italy each had two, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg ever a commissioner. In addition to their main area of responsibility ( in the list with (H) marked), all Commissioners were also members of the " working groups " on the other main areas of responsibility.
Literature and links
- Hole, Theo M.: The nine of Brussels. Cologne 1963.