EC Library Guide on the Schuman Declaration: Introduction
Introduction
About this Library Guide
This Library Guide has been compiled to support the work of the European Commission. It may also be of interest to students, researchers and the wider public.
The Library Guide presents a curated selection of relevant sources on the topic: EU websites, EU publications, peer-reviewed research journals and articles, books and much more.
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The Schuman Declaration
On 9 May 1950, in what became known as the Schuman Declaration, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman announced the creation of a European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) placed under the control of a common High Authority.
Source: The Schuman Declaration: Where the EU was born, European Council, Council of the European Union website (accessed 4 March 2025)
The ECSC (founding members: France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg) was the first of a series of supranational European institutions that would ultimately become today's "European Union".
Source: Schuman Declaration May 1950, European Commission' website (accessed 4 March 2025)