Messina Conference

The Messina Conference was a conference of foreign ministers of the countries of the European Community for Coal and Steel Community, which from the 1st to 3rd June 1955 in Messina in Sicily took place at the initiative of the Benelux countries.

Participants were the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy Gaetano Martino, the Netherlands Jan Willem Beyen, France Antoine Pinay, Joseph Bech, Luxembourg, Belgium Paul -Henri Spaak, and on the part of the Federal Republic of Germany, the then Foreign Secretary, Walter Hallstein. The UK was invited, but declined.

Outcome of the Conference

The conference began in a rather negative climate because the French Parliament had just previously declined the Treaty on the European Defence Community. Therefore, the first two days were not particularly promising, on the third day, there was, however, surprisingly to a happy conclusion of the conference with the resolution of Messina.

With this resolution, the six Nations declared the basic features and the intention of establishing the European Atomic Energy Community ( EURATOM) and the European single market and agreed concrete steps for the implementation of these plans, in just two years, 1957 to the signing of the Rome Treaty ( EURATOM Treaty and the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community ( EEC) ) resulted.

In this way, the experience of the ECSC that progress in the economic field were most likely to gain consensus proved true. In the period following an intergovernmental conference worked under the direction Spaak from the contracts for EEC and Euratom.

Work order to the Spaak Committee

A study committee under the direction of Paul -Henri Spaak was appointed " to examine the possibility of further economic integration, including nuclear energy ." The 1956 submitted Spaak report recommended " a total economic integration with special rules for the peaceful use of nuclear energy."

The committee's report made ​​it clear that a common market would have to merge the national markets and customs union was to be erected. The report contained several direction as to proposals

  • Different stages of the common market, including transition periods;
  • Community institutions (Council of Ministers, equipped with their own rights European Commission, a court, a Parliamentary Assembly ), which should be recruited from the existing organs.

Myth of Messina

Because of the first great difficulties and overcome them one speaks today of the spirit of Messina, when it comes to overcome difficult moments in relations between the Member States of the European Union. This phase (1955-1958) is also called " revival Européenne ".

Chronology of the European Treaties

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