European Coal and Steel Community

From Heterodontosaurus Balls

European Coal and Steel Community, or ECSC, was a union of countries to integrate Europe's coal and steel industries into a single common market. Coal and steel were the only things keeping a European country's economy in good shape after WW2. ECSC later evolved into the European Union.

History[edit | edit source]

ECSC began with post-WWII unity efforts, highlighted by Winston Churchill's 1946 call for a "United States of Europe" and the 1948 Congress of Europe. On May 9, 1950, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman proposed pooling coal and steel production, leading to the Treaty of Paris on April 18, 1951. This treaty, signed by Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany, came into force on August 10, 1952, with Jean Monnet as its first President.

The ECSC created a common market for coal and steel, eliminated tariffs, and set common prices. Key developments included the 1960 European Social Fund to aid workers. The ECSC's budget grew in the 1970s, allowing more investment, and in 1973, Denmark, Ireland, and the UK joined. In the 1980s, the ECSC dealt with a steel crisis and began integrating with the European Economic Community. The 1992 Maastricht Treaty, which formed the European Union, made the ECSC part of the EU structure. When the ECSC Treaty expired on July 23, 2002, his functions were absorbed by the European Union. The ECSC was vital in fostering cooperation, rebuilding Europe's economy post-WWII, and paving the way for the European Union.

Goals[edit | edit source]

ECSC's major goal is to end war between member states, quote:

“ Make war not only unthinkable but materially impossible.
— Robert Schuman

The ECSC's creation marked a radical shift from centuries of intermittent warfare and rivalry, especially between France and Germany. By pooling coal and steel production industries critical to military infrastructure, the ECSC sought to bind the economies of member states so closely together that war would become not just undesirable but practically impossible. The Six Founder Member States — Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Germany, entered into an unprecedented economic collaboration that laid the foundation for future European integration. They are now living in the longest period of peace in more than 2000 years of their histories.

Members[edit | edit source]

List of Members
Country Join Date
Germany 18 April 1951 ( West Germany)
France 18 April 1951 ( French Fourth Republic)
Belgium 18 April 1951
Italy 18 April 1951
Luxembourg 18 April 1951
Netherlands 18 April 1951
Denmark 1 January 1973
Ireland 1 January 1973
United Kingdom 1 January 1973
Greece 1 January 1981
Portugal 1 January 1986
Spain 1 January 1986
Austria 1 January 1995
Finland 1 January 1995
Sweden 1 January 1995

How to draw[edit | edit source]

Flag of the ECSC
  1. Draw a ball.
  2. Fill the top half with blue and the bottom half with black.
  3. Draw 6 white stars on each half.
  4. Add the eyes and you are done!
  5. Add some coal and steel (optional)
Color Name HEX
Blue #0187D6
Black #000000
White #FFFFFF
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