Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western Europe and Canada, Volume VI, Part 1

740.00/2–2753: Telegram

No. 155
The United States Representative to the European Coal and Steel Community (Bruce) to the Department of State¹

confidential
priority

Paris, February 27, 1953—4 p.m.

Coled 2. Subject is European Political Community.

1. Six Foreign Ministers at Rome meeting² agreed on stronger statement of support for economic integration than was contained in Luxembourg resolution.³ They did not accept proposal contained Dutch memos of December 11⁴ and February 14⁵ for progressive creation six-country customs union. This suggestion was left to be dealt with by committee of experts in connection with consideration economic provisions of proposed political community treaty.

2. Beyen opened first ministers meeting with lengthy statement outlining Dutch position. He reiterated traditional Dutch argument that political and economic integration must go together. Bidault followed with non-committal but essentially negative speech. He did not exclude extension of integration in the economic field, but thought this should be worked out in separate negotiations leading to separate treaty. Adenauer strongly supported principle of economic integration, but felt it would be a mistake to hold up agreement on political community. De Gasperi and Van Zeeland also approved integration in principle but were reluctant to discuss details.

3. In final communiqué,⁶ six countries for first time clearly state that “a vast economic integration, and in particular the creation of a single market …⁷ is a fundamental objective of their policy.” None of ministers present expressed support for specific Dutch proposals. Feeling even among those who most strongly support economic integration is that customs union not accompanied by transfer of authority to European institutions would only result in a six-country OEEC. Dutch themselves admit privately that specific contents of the memo are only a preliminary idea, and they are willing to consider substantial changes.

Bruce

1. Repeated to London, Bonn, Rome, Brussels, The Hague, and Luxembourg.
2. The Foreign Ministers of France, Italy, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, met in Rome Feb. 24–25 to discuss matters of common concern, especially the European Defense Community and the European Political Community. For a summary of their discussion of the EDC, transmitted to the Department of State in telegram Coled 1 from Paris, Feb. 27, see vol. v, Part 1, p. 741.
3. For the text of the “Luxembourg resolution,” which was approved by the six Foreign Ministers of the Schuman Plan countries on Sept. 10, 1952, see Document 103.
4. See footnote 2, supra.
5. For a summary of this Feb. 14 memorandum, see despatch 920 from The Hague, Feb. 18, supra.
6. For the text of the communiqué, issued in Rome on Feb. 25, see Documents (R.I.I.A.) for 1953, pp. 211–212.
7. Ellipsis in the source text.