''The Schuman Declaration was presented by French foreign minister
Robert Schuman on 9 May 1950. It proposed the creation of a European
Coal and Steel Community, whose members would pool coal and steel
production.
The ECSC (founding members: France, West Germany, Italy, the
Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg) was the first of a series of
supranational European institutions that would ultimately become today's
"European Union".
Historical context
In 1950, the nations of Europe were still struggling to overcome the
devastation wrought by World War II, which had ended 5 years earlier.
Determined to prevent another such terrible war, European governments
concluded that pooling coal and steel production would – in the words
of the Declaration – make war between historic rivals France and Germany
"not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible".
It was thought – correctly – that merging of economic interests would
help raise standards of living and be the first step towards a more
united Europe. Membership of the ECSC was open to other countries..''
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