A statement issued by French Foreign Minister Robert Schumann on May 9, 1950, is a declaration of Schuman. It proposed that French and West German coal and steel production be placed under a common high authority. With the outbreak of the Cold War, for the first time in its history, divided Europe became dependent on two undisputed winners of World War II: the United States and the Soviet Union. This cooperation was designed to create common interests between European countries that gradually led to political integration, a condition for the peace of relations between them: “Europe will not be built together, or a single plan accordingly.” The Schumann plan, proposed by French Foreign Minister Robert Schumann to form a single authority to control steel and coal production in France and West Germany (now Germany), will open the country to the membership of other Europeans. It will be built through the acquisition of concrete that first creates real solidarity. The unification of the nations of Europe requires the removal of the old antagonisms between France and Germany. ”
Yet Europe tried to rise again from the ashes and build a future that depended on a peaceful and sustainable solution. Hereditary enemies Germany and France were at the center of plans to establish a new order in Europe. Realizing that Britain would oppose a federal Europe, France turned its attention to its German neighbor. Within a year, on 18 April 1951, the six founding members signed the Treaty of Paris. It created the European Coal and Steel Community – Europe’s first supranational community. Formed as a symbol of Germany’s industrial and military power, this spirit soon became a matter of great importance. Thus, it was placed under the control of the International Authority for Ruhr (IAR), which regulates the production, export, and distribution of coal, coke, and steel from the region since the spring of 1949. But Schumann’s efforts did not stop there. He was a great advocate of further consolidation through the ultimately failed European defense community, and in 1956 he became the first president to precede the current European Parliament. The Schuman Declaration is, indeed, a major milestone in the history of European integration. It can be seen as the “birth certificate” of the European community. In short, Schumann’s plan sought to remedy the shortcomings of European institutions and then pave the way for a federation to end the century-long Franco-German animosity. When he left office in the early 1960s, Parliament awarded him the title of ‘Father of Europe’. Due to the significance of his ‘Schuman Declaration’ of 9 May 1950, this day has been designated as ‘Europe Day’. And, in honor of his pioneering work towards a united Europe, the residential district, the headquarters of several European Union organizations in Brussels, has been named after him.
