Declaratia Schuman – 9 mai 1950

Declaratia Schuman este unul dintre documentele fundamentale pentru istoria Uniunii Europene. Spre deosebire insa de paradigma secularista (marca Giscard d’Estaing) care caracterizeaza astazi filosofia UE, documentul semnat de Maurice Schuman, pe atunci ministru de externe al Frantei, este profund inradacinat intr-o perspectiva crestina asupra realitatii.

Redau mai jos textul documentului in limba romana (pentru care multumesc domnisoarei Marinela Blaj, de la Schuman Studies for European Studies) si de asemenea textul aceluia in limba engleza.

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Declaratia Schuman

Pacea mondială nu poate fi asigurată fără a face eforturi creatoare proporţionale cu pericolele care o ameninţă. Contribuţia pe care o poate aduce civilizaţiei o Europă organizată şi activă este indispensabilă pentru menţinerea unor relaţii paşnice. Asumându-şi, timp de mai bine de 20 de ani, rolul de campioană a unei Europe unite, Franţa şi-a pus dintotdeauna eforturile în slujba păcii. Nu am reuşit să realizăm o Europă unită şi ne-am confruntat cu războaie.

Europa nu se va construi dintr-o dată sau ca urmare a unui plan unic, ci prin realizări concrete care vor genera în primul rând o solidaritate de fapt. Alăturarea naţiunilor europene implică eliminarea opoziţiei seculare dintre Franţa şi Germania. Orice acţiune întreprinsă trebuie să aibă în vedere în primul rând aceste două ţări.

În acest scop, guvernul francez propune ca măsuri imediate să fie întreprinse într-o direcţie concretă, dar decisivă. Guvernul francez propune ca producţia franco-germană de cărbune şi oţel să fie plasată sub o Înaltă Autoritate comună, în cadrul unei organizaţii deschise şi altor state europene. Punerea în comun a producţiilor de cărbune şi oţel va asigura imediat stabilirea unor baze comune de dezvoltare economică, un prim pas către realizarea unei federaţii europene şi va schimba destinele acelor regiuni care s-au dedicat în trecut fabricării muniţiei de război, dar care au fost, în acelaşi timp, cele mai constante victime ale conflictelor.

Solidaritatea de producţie astfel stabilită va demonstra că orice război între Franţa şi Germania devine nu numai inimaginabil, ci şi imposibil din punct de vedere material. Înfiinţarea acestei unităţi de producţie puternice, deschisă tuturor ţărilor care doresc să colaboreze, va pune bazele reale ale unificării economice, angajându-se să le furnizeze tuturor ţărilor membre elementele principale ale producţiei industriale, în condiţii egale.

Această producţie va fi oferită lumii întregi, fără diferenţieri sau excepţii, pentru a contribui la creşterea nivelului de trai şi pentru a promova realizările paşnice. Cu mijloace suplimentare, Europa va putea să ducă mai departe realizarea uneia dintre misiunile sale esenţiale: dezvoltarea continentului african. În acest mod se va realiza, simplu şi rapid, acea fuziune a intereselor care este indispensabilă pentru crearea unui sistem economic comun; aceasta ar putea fi piatra de temelie a unei comunităţi mai largi şi mai complexe reunind ţări aflate multă vreme în conflicte sângeroase.

Prin punerea în comun a producţiei de bază şi prin instituirea unei Înalte Autorităţi, ale cărei decizii vor reuni Franţa, Germania şi alte state membre, această propunere va conduce la stabilirea primelor baze concrete ale unei federaţii europene, indispensabilă pentru menţinerea păcii.

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Schuman Declaration

World peace cannot be safeguarded without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten it.

The contribution which an organized and living Europe can bring to civilization is indispensable to the maintenance of peaceful relations. In taking upon herself for more than 20 years the role of champion of a united Europe, France has always had as her essential aim the service of peace. A united Europe was not achieved and we had war.

Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan. It will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity. The coming together of the nations of Europe requires the elimination of the age-old opposition of France and Germany. Any action taken must in the first place concern these two countries.

With this aim in view, the French Government proposes that action be taken immediately on one limited but decisive point.

It proposes that Franco-German production of coal and steel as a whole be placed under a common High Authority, within the framework of an organization open to the participation of the other countries of Europe. The pooling of coal and steel production should immediately provide for the setting up of common foundations for economic development as a first step in the federation of Europe, and will change the destinies of those regions which have long been devoted to the manufacture of munitions of war, of which they have been the most constant victims.

The solidarity in production thus established will make it plain that any war between France and Germany becomes not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible. The setting up of this powerful productive unit, open to all countries willing to take part and bound ultimately to provide all the member countries with the basic elements of industrial production on the same terms, will lay a true foundation for their economic unification.

This production will be offered to the world as a whole without distinction or exception, with the aim of contributing to raising living standards and to promoting peaceful achievements. With increased resources Europe will be able to pursue the achievement of one of its essential tasks, namely, the development of the African continent. In this way, there will be realised simply and speedily that fusion of interest which is indispensable to the establishment of a common economic system; it may be the leaven from which may grow a wider and deeper community between countries long opposed to one another by sanguinary divisions.

By pooling basic production and by instituting a new High Authority, whose decisions will bind France, Germany and other member countries, this proposal will lead to the realization of the first concrete foundation of a European federation indispensable to the preservation of peace.

To promote the realization of the objectives defined, the French Government is ready to open negotiations on the following bases.

The task with which this common High Authority will be charged will be that of securing in the shortest possible time the modernization of production and the improvement of its quality; the supply of coal and steel on identical terms to the French and German markets, as well as to the markets of other member countries; the development in common of exports to other countries; the equalization and improvement of the living conditions of workers in these industries.

To achieve these objectives, starting from the very different conditions in which the production of member countries is at present situated, it is proposed that certain transitional measures should be instituted, such as the application of a production and investment plan, the establishment of compensating machinery for equating prices, and the creation of a restructuring fund to facilitate the rationalization of production. The movement of coal and steel between member countries will immediately be freed from all customs duty, and will not be affected by differential transport rates. Conditions will gradually be created which will spontaneously provide for the more rational distribution of production at the highest level of productivity.

In contrast to international cartels, which tend to impose restrictive practices on distribution and the exploitation of national markets, and to maintain high profits, the organization will ensure the fusion of markets and the expansion of production.

The essential principles and undertakings defined above will be the subject of a treaty signed between the States and submitted for the ratification of their parliaments. The negotiations required to settle details of applications will be undertaken with the help of an arbitrator appointed by common agreement. He will be entrusted with the task of seeing that the agreements reached conform with the principles laid down, and, in the event of a deadlock, he will decide what solution is to be adopted.

The common High Authority entrusted with the management of the scheme will be composed of independent persons appointed by the governments, giving equal representation. A chairman will be chosen by common agreement between the governments. The Authority’s decisions will be enforceable in France, Germany and other member countries. Appropriate measures will be provided for means of appeal against the decisions of the Authority.

A representative of the United Nations will be accredited to the Authority, and will be instructed to make a public report to the United Nations twice yearly, giving an account of the working of the new organization, particularly as concerns the safeguarding of its objectives.

The institution of the High Authority will in no way prejudge the methods of ownership of enterprises. In the exercise of its functions, the common High Authority will take into account the powers conferred upon the International Ruhr Authority and the obligations of all kinds imposed upon Germany, so long as these remain in force.

(Source European Union)