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Schuman Plan and European Coal and Steel Community

Robert Schuman, Jean Monnet and the first supranational European community. This page combines historical context with 28 matching records drawn directly from the World History Database EEC archive.

28 matching archive records 1949–1955 record span Open full 936-record archive
Schuman Plan and European Coal and Steel Community historical image

Historical context

Schuman Plan and European Coal and Steel Community: overview and significance

What happened?

The Schuman Declaration of 9 May 1950 proposed pooling French and German coal and steel production under a common authority. Six countries developed the plan into the European Coal and Steel Community.

Why was it important?

The ECSC created a practical institutional model for European integration and directly preceded the Treaties of Rome. It is widely treated as the first major building block of today's European Union.

World History Database records

Schuman Plan and European Coal and Steel Community timeline

The records below are selected from the 936-record EEC and European integration archive and rendered as static HTML in chronological order.

1949
1949 5th May

Council of Europe

Foreign Secretary of France Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman · France · European Economic Community (EEC)

He also announced a coming supranational union for Europe that saw light as the European Coal and Steel Community and other such Communities within a Union framework of common law and democracy.

1949 5th May

European Coal and Steel Community

Foreign Secretary of France Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman · France · European Economic Community (EEC)

At the signing of it's Statutes at St James's Palace, London, 5 May 1949, the founding States agreed to defining the frontiers of Europe based on the principles of human rights and fundamental freedoms that Schuman enunciated.

1949 5th May

European Coal and Steel Community

Foreign Secretary of France Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman · France · European Economic Community (EEC)

He also announced a coming supranational union for Europe that saw light as the European Coal and Steel Community and other such Communities within a Union framework of common law and democracy.

1949 5th May

European Coal and Steel Community

Foreign Secretary of France Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman · France · European Economic Community (EEC)

The Council of Europe and was created within the tight schedule Schuman had set.

1950
1950 9th May

Drafting of Schuman Plan

French economic planner Jean Omer Marie Gabriel Monnet · France · Paris · European Economic Community (EEC)

Monnet helped design the proposal that became the Schuman Declaration and the foundation for the ECSC.

1950 9th May

Schuman Declaration

Foreign Secretary of France Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman · France · Paris · European Economic Community (EEC)

Schuman publicly proposed pooling French and German coal and steel production under a common High Authority.

1950 9th May

Schuman Plan

Foreign Secretary of France Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman · France · European Economic Community (EEC)

Proposes a community to integrate the coal and steel industries of Europe, the two elements necessary to make weapons of war

1950 9th May

Schuman Plan

Foreign Secretary of France Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman · France · European Economic Community (EEC)

Schuman proposed pooling French and German coal and steel production under a common High Authority, opening the way to the ECSC.

1951
1951 18th April

ECSC Founding Treaty

Foreign Secretary of France Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman · France · Paris · European Economic Community (EEC)

Schuman represented France's commitment to the Treaty of Paris and the new supranational Coal and Steel Community.

1951 18th April

European Coal and Steel Community

Foreign Secretary of France Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman · France · European Economic Community (EEC)

France and five partner states signed the Treaty of Paris, establishing the European Coal and Steel Community.

1951 18th April

European Coal and Steel Community

Foreign Secretary of France Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman · France · European Economic Community (EEC)

On 18 April 1951 six founder members sign the Treaty of Paris (1951) that formed the basis of the European Coal and Steel Community. They declared this date and the corresponding democratic, supranational principles to be the 'real foundation of Europe'

1951 18th April

Treaty of Paris

Foreign Secretary of France Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman · France · European Economic Community (EEC)

On 18 April 1951 six founder members sign the Treaty of Paris (1951) that formed the basis of the European Coal and Steel Community. They declared this date and the corresponding democratic, supranational principles to be the 'real foundation of Europe'

1951 April

ECSC Treaty Negotiations

French economic planner Jean Omer Marie Gabriel Monnet · France · Paris · European Economic Community (EEC)

Monnet helped shape the supranational institutions incorporated into the Treaty of Paris establishing the ECSC.

1951

European Coal and Steel Community

Foreign Secretary of France Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman · France · European Economic Community (EEC)

The EU grows out of the European Coal and Steel Community by the 6 founders, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, France & Italy

1951

European Coal and Steel Community

Foreign Secretary of France Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman · France · European Economic Community (EEC)

The six founding states used the ECSC as the first supranational step toward the later European Economic Community.

1951

European Coal and Steel Community Origins

Foreign Secretary of France Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman · France · European Economic Community (EEC)

The EU grows out of the European Coal and Steel Community by the 6 founders, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, France & Italy

1951

Schuman Declaration

Foreign Secretary of France Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman · France · European Economic Community (EEC)

The Treaty of Paris created the ECSC, providing an institutional model for the later European Economic Community.

1951

Schuman Declaration

Foreign Secretary of France Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman · France · European Economic Community (EEC)

Within one 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. This organization paved the way for the European Economic Community and subsequently the European Union, which is still run by the innovative type of European institutions conceived in 1950

1951

Treaty of Paris

Foreign Secretary of France Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman · France · European Economic Community (EEC)

France joined West Germany, Italy and the Benelux countries in signing the Treaty of Paris establishing the ECSC.

1951

Treaty of Paris

Foreign Secretary of France Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman · France · European Economic Community (EEC)

France, Italy, the Benelux countries (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg) together with West Germany sign the Treaty of Paris creating the European Coal and Steel Community the following year

1952
1952 9th May

European Coal and Steel Community

Foreign Secretary of France Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman · France · European Economic Community (EEC)

The European Coal and Steel Community is created, this takes over the role of the International Authority for the Ruhr and lifts some restrictions on German industrial productivity

1952 9th May

Schuman Plan

Foreign Secretary of France Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman · France · European Economic Community (EEC)

The European Coal and Steel Community is created, this takes over the role of the International Authority for the Ruhr and lifts some restrictions on German industrial productivity

1952 23rd July

European Coal and Steel Community

Foreign Secretary of France Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman · France · European Economic Community (EEC)

The Treaty of Paris entered into force, bringing the European Coal and Steel Community formally into existence.

1952 August

ECSC Institutions Begin Work

President of ECSC High Authority Jean Omer Marie Gabriel Monnet · France · Luxembourg · European Economic Community (EEC)

Monnet oversaw the start of work by the ECSC High Authority as the first European supranational executive.

1952 August

High Authority Presidency

President of ECSC High Authority Jean Omer Marie Gabriel Monnet · France · Luxembourg · European Economic Community (EEC)

Monnet became the first President of the ECSC High Authority and led the new supranational executive.

1953
1953 10th February

Coal Common Market

President of ECSC High Authority Jean Omer Marie Gabriel Monnet · France · Luxembourg · European Economic Community (EEC)

The ECSC common market for coal opened while Monnet chaired the High Authority.

1953 1st May

Steel Common Market

President of ECSC High Authority Jean Omer Marie Gabriel Monnet · France · Luxembourg · European Economic Community (EEC)

The ECSC common market for steel opened, extending practical economic integration under Monnet's High Authority.

1955
1955 1st June

Messina Relaunch

Foreign Minister of France Antoine Pinay · France · Messina · European Economic Community (EEC)

France joined the six ECSC states in relaunching European integration at the Messina conference.

Editorial provenance

Sources and editorial review

Compiled and edited by World History Database.

Historical context is editorial material; the chronology is generated from World History Database EEC records.

Last reviewed: September 2026.

European Union history · EU founding agreements · EUR-Lex

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