House of European History - Online Collection

    The Council of Europe and the Schuman Plan
    Le Conseil de l'Europe et le plan Schuman

    Artist / Maker
    Date
    Publication: 1952
    Object Name
    books
    Inventory Number
    C.2020.005.001
    Physical Description
    Blue book with white writing. The title (‘Le Conseil de l’Europe et le plan Schuman’) is in black inside a white square centred on the front cover.
    Content Description
    This book explores the beginning of European integration following the Second World War. Published as promotional and information material, it presents the role of the Council of Europe in the inception of the Schuman Plan and the political discourse surrounding these developments. The Council of Europe was established in May 1949 with the primary goal of promoting human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. The Schuman Plan, introduced on 9 May 1950 by the French political leader Robert Schuman (1886–1963), aimed to place the heavy industries of Western Europe under a common management system, marking a foundational step towards economic integration in the region.
    Keywords
    Council of EuropeSchuman Plan
    Exhibition Theme
    3. Rebuilding a divided continent (1945-1970s) -> 3.3. Milestones of European integration 1 - from The Hague to the first enlargement -> 3.3.3. European Coal and Steel Community (not on display)
    Material / Technique
    Paper and ink
    Dimensions
    Place
    Place of publication: FranceAssociated Place: Europe
    Curator’s Note
    One of the significant proponents of European unity was the French political leader Robert Schuman, who, while serving as the French Foreign Minister, presented his self-titled plan on 9 May 1950. This plan laid the foundation for the European Coal and Steel Community and aimed to stimulate economic unity across Europe, particularly facilitating a rapprochement between France and Germany to preclude any future wars between the two nations. On 10 August 1950, Schuman presented his plan to the consultative assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, where it was deliberated on by the leading European representatives of the time. The Council of Europe had been established on 5 May 1949 as a result of the Congress of Europe held in The Hague the previous year. Its founding mission was to protect democracy and human rights and to promote European unity by fostering cooperation in legal, cultural and social matters. The prevailing atmosphere of the period in regard to Schuman’s vision for future collaboration can be found in this excerpt from the conclusions of this 1952 Council of Europe publication: ‘The Specialised Authorities, both daughters and sisters of the Schuman Plan, will be the material foundation of European integration, while the Council of Europe will be its spiritual foundation. You cannot build on sand, but you cannot build without spirit either.’
    Inscription
    Inscription Conseil de l’Europe Direction de l´information Le Conseil de l’Europe et le plan Schuman Strasbourg 1952
    Credit line
    House of European History, Brussels, Belgium
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