How did the idea for the EU come about? May 9th Europe Day - Today the EU includes 27 countries with about one billion citizens
On May 9, the EU honors former French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman, who formulated the idea of the EU on May 9, 1950. Since 1985, heads of state and government have decided to celebrate May 9 as Europe Day.
On 23 July 1952, the Montanunion came into force in Europe. The European Coal and Steel Community was the nucleus of the European Economic Community, which was established in 1957 with the Treaties of Rome. The European Economic Community gave rise to the European Union in the early 1990s. The Montanunion, which included France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, was proposed by the then French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman.
The Schuman Plan and the subsequent establishment of the Montanunion are today considered the birth of the European Community, because in his statement the French Foreign Minister foresaw the subsequent integration of other member states. He was convinced that the Montanunion would lead to a larger and stronger Union: "This proposal brings into being for the first time a European federation, which is essential for the security of peace."
However, in the early 1950s, the time was not yet ripe for Schuman's expansion plans. Two years later, he resigned as Foreign Minister because he was unable to realize the idea of the European Community. It took another seven years before the European countries were ready to commit to closer ties through the Treaty of Rome. But Schuman's efforts were rewarded: He became the first President of the European Parliament.
Adenauer later said that Schuman had already been a great European visionary in 1950: "He saw further than I did when he proposed the Montanunion. Don't think that he proposed the Montanunion for economic reasons! It was an important political issue."
And it was the beginning of a deepening union, which today includes 27 countries with around a billion citizens. The Montanunion no longer exists. The original 1952 agreement expired after 50 years. The Montanunion rules continued in 2002 in the new EU agreements.
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