The President of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe
Strasbourg, 11th September, 1952
Monsieur le Président,
At the request of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Member States of the European Coal and Steel Community, I have the honour to transmit to you a Resolution drawn up by these Ministers for Foreign Affairs at their Meeting of 10th September, 1952, at Luxembourg, and which is to be brought to the attention of the Consultative Assembly, in accordance with Section F of the said Resolution.
I have the honour to be, Monsieur le Président,
Your obedient Servant,
The President of the Council of the Community :
ADENAUER.
Considering that the final aim of the six Governments has been and remains the establishment of as widely-ranging a European Political Community as possible;
Bearing in mind that, at the request of the Italian Government, there was included in the Treaty instituting a European Defence Community, signed on 27th May, 1952, an Article 38, the purpose of which was to entrust the Assembly of that Community with the task of studying the constitution of a new Assembly elected on a democratic basis in such a way as to be able to form part of a subsequent federal or confederal system based on the principle of the separation of powers and, in particular, on a two-chamber system of representation ;
Recalling that in its Resolution 14, adopted on 30th May, 1952, the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe requested the Governments of the States participating in the European Defence Community to choose, by the adoption of whichever procedure was the more rapid, the Assembly on which responsibility should be conferred for drafting the Statute of a supranational Political Community open to all Member States of the Council of Europe and offering opportunities of association to such of these States as were not full members of the Political Community;
Realising that the constitution of a European Political Community of a federal or confederal nature is bound up with the establishment of common bases of economic development and a merging of the essential interests of Member States.
The six Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the countries participating in the Coal and Steel Community, having met together at Luxembourg on the 10th September, 1952, have taken the following decision, which takes into account previous considerations as well as their desire to expedite the study of the proposed draft, thus ensuring that it possesses the maximum authority :
A
The Members of the Coal and Steel Assembly are invited, on the basis of the principles contained in Article 38 of the Treaty establishing the European Defence Community, and without prejudice to the provisions of that Treaty, to draft a Treaty instituting a European Political Authority. With this in view, the Members of the Assembly, grouped together in national delegations, shall co-opt, from among the Representatives to the Consultative Assembly who are not already members of the Coal and Steel Assembly as many additional members as shall be necessary to make up the total number laid down for each country in the Assembly of the European Defence Community.
B
The Assembly, thereby fully and finally constituted to this end, shall meet together in plenary sessions at the Seat of the Council of Europe. It may also meet in committee.
It shall determine the conditions under which representatives of other countries, especially those which are Members of the Council of Europe, may be associated with the work as observers.
It shall periodically report to the Consultative Assembly on the progress of its work.
C
The Ministers for Foreign Affairs meeting together in the Council of the European Coal and Steel Community shall be associated with the work of the Assembly under appropriate conditions to be laid down by mutual agreement.
In order to facilitate such work, they shall draw up for submission to the Assembly a list of questions on such matters as :
the spheres in which the institutions of the European Political Community shall be competent to operate;
measures necessary to ensure a merging of tho interests of Member States in those spheres;
the powers to be vested in institutions of the Community.
The Ministers shall periodically report to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
D
Within six months of the convening of the Coal and Steel Assembly, that is by 10th March, 1953, the results of the work referred to above shall be transmitted to the Assembly of the European Defence Community, responsible for carrying out the tasks laid down in Article 38 of the Treaty establishing the European Defence Community, as well as to the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the six countries concerned.
E
The Governments hereby reaffirm that they have based themselves upon the proposals of the United Kingdom Government for the establishment of the closest possible relations between the future Political Community and the Council of Europe.
It is with this in view that the drafting of the Statute of that Community should be undertaken and pursued in constant co-operation with the institutions of the Council of Europe.
F
The Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe shall be informed of the above decision.
G
The procedure laid down above shall be without prejudice to the treaty establishing the European Defence Community.