Council of Europe – Documents and Archives - Selection – Robert Schuman and the Council of Europe

Selection

[Last update: 6 April 2009]

Robert Schuman and the Council of Europe

Kalergi

Highlights

Selected documents

Biographical details

Sources in Central Archives

Video footage [fr] (beginning is silent) [1m38s]

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

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

Speech at the conference
Signature

1949, 8 August

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)

Photos
Text, opening of first session

1949, 2 September

Concludes the Agreement on Strasbourg as the seat of the Council of Europe and the Agreement on Privileges

Agreement related to the seat
Letter to SG

1950, 30 March - 1 April

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

Summary of the 2nd and 3rd sessions
The Saar Question

1950, 10 August

Addresses the Assembly on his plan for a European Coal and Steel Community [fr]

Audio extract [5m21s]
Full text

1950, 4 November

Signs the European Convention on Human Rights

Text of speech

1950, 24 November

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")

Audio extract [24m]
Full text

1951, 10 December

Addresses the Assembly, calling for European unification [fr]

Audio extract [22m47s]
Full text

1953, 13-16 October

Participates in the Round Table organized by the Council of Europe's Committee of Cultural Experts in Rome

Full text [fr]

1955

Article "L'Europe est une communauté spirituelle et culturelle" (European Yearbook, vol. 1)

1959, 20 April

Speech before the Assembly (academic session) celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Council of Europe

Full text [fr]

Biographical details

Summary

Key dates

1886, 29 June

Born in Clausen, Luxembourg to parents from Luxembourg (mother) and Lorraine (father)

1912

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

1914

Auxiliary with the German Army during the First World War

1918

Official French citizen after Lorraine reverts to France

1919

Launching of his political career. Deputy for Moselle in the French National Assembly. Represents this department until he retires (except for 1940-44)

1940

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

1946, June - 1947, November

Finance Minister at the beginning of the IVth Republic

1948, July - 1953, January

Minister of Foreign Affairs after a brief period as Prime Minister

1950, 9 May

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

1955

Justice Minister for a short time

1955 - 1961

President of the European Movement

1957

Supports the relaunch of European construction centred on the European Economic Community, ratified in Rome that year

1958 - 1960

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

1962

Retires from political life

1963

Dies 4 October, Scy-Chazelles (near Metz)

Sources in Central Archives

1.

File 297 3 "Speeches by important political figures"

2.

File 001 20 "Siège du Conseil de l'Europe"

3.

Debates of the Consultative Assembly

4.

Texts adopted of the Consultative Assembly

5.

Card catalogue

6.

European Yearbook

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

1949, 3-5 May	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	Speech at the conference Signature
1949, 8 August	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)	Photos Text, opening of first session
1949, 2 September	Concludes the Agreement on Strasbourg as the seat of the Council of Europe and the Agreement on Privileges	Agreement related to the seat Letter to SG
1950, 30 March - 1 April	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	Summary of the 2nd and 3rd sessions The Saar Question
1950, 10 August	Addresses the Assembly on his plan for a European Coal and Steel Community [fr]	Audio extract [5m21s] Full text
1950, 4 November	Signs the European Convention on Human Rights	Text of speech
1950, 24 November	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")	Audio extract [24m] Full text
1951, 10 December	Addresses the Assembly, calling for European unification [fr]	Audio extract [22m47s] Full text
1953, 13-16 October	Participates in the Round Table organized by the Council of Europe's Committee of Cultural Experts in Rome	Full text [fr]
1955	Article "L'Europe est une communauté spirituelle et culturelle" (European Yearbook, vol. 1)
1959, 20 April	Speech before the Assembly (academic session) celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Council of Europe	Full text [fr]

1886, 29 June	Born in Clausen, Luxembourg to parents from Luxembourg (mother) and Lorraine (father)
1912	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
1914	Auxiliary with the German Army during the First World War
1918	Official French citizen after Lorraine reverts to France
1919	Launching of his political career. Deputy for Moselle in the French National Assembly. Represents this department until he retires (except for 1940-44)
1940	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
1946, June - 1947, November	Finance Minister at the beginning of the IVth Republic
1948, July - 1953, January	Minister of Foreign Affairs after a brief period as Prime Minister
1950, 9 May	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
1955	Justice Minister for a short time
1955 - 1961	President of the European Movement
1957	Supports the relaunch of European construction centred on the European Economic Community, ratified in Rome that year
1958 - 1960	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
1962	Retires from political life
1963	Dies 4 October, Scy-Chazelles (near Metz)

1.	File 297 3 "Speeches by important political figures"
2.	File 001 20 "Siège du Conseil de l'Europe"
3.	Debates of the Consultative Assembly
4.	Texts adopted of the Consultative Assembly
5.	Card catalogue
6.	European Yearbook