Schuman Declaration

The Schuman Plan and Schuman Declaration is a fundamental political plan for a merger of the French and German coal and steel production after the Second World War, which on 9 May 1950 by the then French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman ( 1886-1963 ) in the Salon de l' ' Horloge at the Quai d' Orsay was announced to media representatives in a government statement.

"The French Government proposes that the totality of the Franco- German coal and steel production under a common Supreme Authority ( Haute Autorité ) position, in an organization that is available to other countries can join. [ ... ] "

Before the reading, more just hours earlier, only Konrad Adenauer was informed, who agreed to the plan immediately.

The urgent tasks of the High Authority were outlined as follows:

  • The modernization of production and the improvement of quality;
  • The supply of coal and steel on the French and German markets and on the markets of all countries involved on equal terms;
  • The development of common exports to other countries;
  • Improving the living conditions of the workers in these industries.

Schuman leaving this policy statement three days before the London Conference of Foreign Ministers of France, Great Britain and the United States, on the new European policy for conducting aspects were discussed. Although the Schuman Plan was drafted in secret by a group of around Jean Monnet, he was the most widely read document at the conference. The Schuman Plan constitutes a development of the concept of the Ruhr Statute and is therefore in a continuity of the French Ruhr policy. The plan led to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community and proved as an important basis for the process of European integration.

Occasion

Due to the intensification of the East -West conflict in the context of the Cold War, the French government became clear that she could no longer put against a German rearmament and a Back Get the sovereignty of Germany ( see Foreign Ministers' Conference in September 1950). In the wake of the rise of the Federal Republic of Germany became clear that the restriction of German coal and steel industry had to be canceled, since France was very interested in German raw materials.

In addition, the Federal Republic of Germany was just in the accession negotiations to the Euro Europe. France would like to see the Federal Republic and the Saarland join as two new members of the Euro Europe in order to secure the autonomy of the Saarland. By the Schuman Plan, consented to the Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, this diplomatic upset could be compensated by the proposed autonomy. Adenauer therefore agreed that the Saarland was able to join regardless of the Federal Republic.

Schuman declared in a speech at a union meeting in 1950 in Metz: "In truth, this plan ( the Schuman Plan) is the continuation of Monnetplanes " and solely " to the French steel export to facilitate " France had " taken over this mission." According to Professor Dr. Hans Ritschl: " However, this speech was not for German ears for sure! " Jean Monnet was the first head of the Commissariat général du Plan ( Planning Department ) in France and saw the " Monnetplan " ( 1946-1950 ) a large modernization program for France's economy and a massive expansion of French steel capacity before. He was also a limitation of the competing German steel industry to a maximum of 7.5 million tons per year.

Further Developments after presentation of the plan

In this plan the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel goes (ECSC, also called ECSC ) on 18 April 1951 back. Jean Monnet was also the first president of the High Authority of the Coal and Steel Community (1952-1955), which were merged with the EC Merger Treaty of 1965 with the EEC and EURATOM to the European Communities.

Foreign, economic and security policy basic idea of France

France pursued by the Schuman Plan - unlike Britain, which was facing at that time more to world trade as well as the ideas of the Commonwealth and the special relationship with the U.S. as still existing colonial power - the historian Clemens Wurm considers a more continental European-oriented policy of containment of Soviet Union and the safety " before and with Germany ." In addition, the Schuman Plan was done as to form a European project, largely stay out by the France Great Britain from the continental policy and could even then secure a dominant role politically. To solve its traditional Germany problem intention France involve Germany in supranational organizations at European level after in the years 1944 to 1947 the attempt to Germany to control through alliances (including the Soviet Union) to dissolve his government unit or West Germany to the Rhineland, the Ruhr and the Saar was to amputate thwarted by the opposition of the United States and Great Britain. The Schuman Plan France broke with the old policy and began to build a new European power bloc under cooperative involvement of the young Federal Republic.

May 9 Council of Europe Saar (protectorate) Monnet-Plan Deutsches Historisches Museum
717065
de