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Selection 
[Last update: 6 April 2009]
Robert Schuman and the Council of Europe
 Highlights
- 1949: Signs the Council of Europe Statute
- 1950: Oversees the admission of Germany and the Saar
- 1950: August, presents the Schuman Plan to the Assembly [fr] - Audio extract [5m21s]
- 1950: November, signs European Convention on Human Rights
- 1951: December, address to the Assembly, calling for European unification [fr] - Audio extract [22m47s]
Selected documents
1949, 3-5 May
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Attends the Conference on the Establishment of a Council of Europe, St James Palace, London
Argues for the organisation to be named the "European Union". Discussed the choice of Strasbourg as the seat of the Organisation and the admission of additional members
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Speech at the conference
Signature
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1949, 8 August
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Opens the first session of the Committee of Ministers, representing France, the host country
As French Minister of Foreign Affairs, he attends the first ten sessions (the last one being 18 March 1952)
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Photos
Text, opening of first session
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1949, 2 September
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Concludes the Agreement on Strasbourg as the seat of the Council of Europe and the Agreement on Privileges
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Agreement related to the seat
Letter to SG
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1950, 30 March - 1 April
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Chairs the 3rd session of the Committee of Ministers (France has the Presidency)
Highlights of this session include:
- Invitation to the Federal Republic of Germany and the Saar to join the Council of Europe as associate members
- Creation of an Ad Hoc Joint Committee (seven representatives of the Committee of Ministers and seven of the Assembly) to liaise between the two organs
- Convocation of a meeting of senior officials dealing with human rights questions
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Summary of the 2nd and 3rd sessions
The Saar Question
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1950, 10 August
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Addresses the Assembly on his plan for a European Coal and Steel Community [fr]
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Audio extract [5m21s]
Full text
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1950, 4 November
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Signs the European Convention on Human Rights
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Text of speech
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1950, 24 November
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Speech to the Assembly on European Defence [fr]
(Schuman did not actually pronounce the words at the end of the published text: "Non, l'armée européenne n'est pas le produit (...) volonté d'aboutir")
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Audio extract [24m]
Full text
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1951, 10 December
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Addresses the Assembly, calling for European unification [fr]
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Audio extract [22m47s]
Full text
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1953, 13-16 October
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Participates in the Round Table organized by the Council of Europe's Committee of Cultural Experts in Rome
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Full text [fr]
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1955
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Article "L'Europe est une communauté spirituelle et culturelle" (European Yearbook, vol. 1)
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1959, 20 April
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Speech before the Assembly (academic session) celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Council of Europe
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Full text [fr]
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Biographical details
Summary
Key dates
1886, 29 June
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Born in Clausen, Luxembourg to parents from Luxembourg (mother) and Lorraine (father)
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1912
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Studies law at the universities of Berlin, Munich, Bonn and Strasbourg where he obtains a doctorate in German law. Opens a legal office in Metz
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1914
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Auxiliary with the German Army during the First World War
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1918
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Official French citizen after Lorraine reverts to France
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1919
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Launching of his political career. Deputy for Moselle in the French National Assembly. Represents this department until he retires (except for 1940-44)
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1940
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Nominated Under Secretary for the Presidency of the Council for Refugees under the Raynaud and Pétain governments (March to July); 14th September arrested by the Gestapo
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1946, June - 1947, November
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Finance Minister at the beginning of the IVth Republic
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1948, July - 1953, January
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Minister of Foreign Affairs after a brief period as Prime Minister
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1950, 9 May
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The "Schuman Declaration", setting out a blueprint for European construction
Schuman proposes to Germany that it should join on an equal footing a new body responsible for the joint management of coal and steel
In answer to this declaration, on 18 April 1951 Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the Federal Republic of Germany sign a treaty setting up the European Coal and Steel Community
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1955
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Justice Minister for a short time
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1955 - 1961
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President of the European Movement
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1957
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Supports the relaunch of European construction centred on the European Economic Community, ratified in Rome that year
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1958 - 1960
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As a member of the Christian Democrat Parliamentary Group, is unanimously elected the first President of the Joint Assembly (EEC, ECSC, Euratom), which later became the European Parliament
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1962
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Retires from political life
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1963
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Dies 4 October, Scy-Chazelles (near Metz)
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Sources in Central Archives
1.
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File 297 3 "Speeches by important political figures"
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2.
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File 001 20 "Siège du Conseil de l'Europe"
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3.
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Debates of the Consultative Assembly
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4.
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Texts adopted of the Consultative Assembly
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5.
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Card catalogue
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6.
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European Yearbook
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Links and references
L'Europe de Robert Schuman / Grégoire Eldin et al. - Paris : Presses de l'Université de Paris Sorbonne, 2001 (Council of Europe Library classmark 341.242 EUR)
- http://www.france.diplomatie.fr/archives.gb/dossiers/schuman/
- http://www.robert-schuman.org/anglais/robert-schuman/lifehistory.htm
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