740.00/2–1853: Despatch
No. 154
The First Secretary of the Embassy in
the Netherlands (Shullaw) to the
Department of State1
No. 920
Subject:
- Netherlands Note dated February 14 on European Political and Economic Integration
On February 14 the Netherlands Foreign Minister, Mr. J. W. Beyen, sent identical notes to the French, Belgian and Luxembourg Foreign Ministers, the Italian Prime Minister and the West German Chancellor elaborating on the Netherlands views concerning European political and economic integration which were set forth in his memorandum of December 11.2 A copy of Mr. Beyen [Page 283] Note, which was supplied to the Embassy by the Netherlands Foreign Office, is transmitted as an enclosure to this despatch.3
The Netherlands Note states that the raison d’etre of the proposed Political Community is the need for real solidarity among the peoples of Western Europe—a need which can not be satisfied if a narrow interpretation is given to the words “Political Community”. In fact the degree to which political solidarity can be realized depends in large part on the measure to which the community actually contributes to the solidarity of the economies of the participating countries. The Netherlands believes that this relationship must be made firm in the powers conferred on the community from its inception. The Note states that the Netherlands does not consider it possible to organize a Political Community whose powers would be limited to areas already integrated with the hope that the organs of such a community in time would acquire through their own efforts the authority to extend the domain in which the community would have competence. “This hope seems scarcely justified, because the extension of the political authority of the aforementioned organs would be influenced very unfavorably by the fact that responsibilities would have been intentionally refused to the Political Community, precisely in the domains where it ought to acquire authority”. Furthermore such a procedure does not take sufficient account of uncertainties and conflicts between national organs and European organs which would be increased by efforts by the European organs to enlarge their authority.
Mr. Beyen points out that in the course of history important disparities have developed in the structure of national economies. Encouragement of integration must in the circumstances be carried forward not only with strong conviction but also with extreme prudence. Adjustments necessary for the gradual integration of the economy of Western Europe should be limited in character and should take in all sectors of the national economies. They should be carried out in such a way that unfavorable effects in one sector could be compensated by favorable adjustments in another sector. In this way grave social and economic disturbances in the national economies could be avoided. The member states in addition would be obliged to accept a common responsibility for the prevention and neutralization of such disturbances.
The Note states that in pursuance of these principles the Netherlands Government has decided to propose the setting up of a Tariff Community among the countries “which decide to participate in the Political Community”. In doing so it states that the Netherlands [Page 284] feels obliged to give a concrete meaning to the common responsibility of the member states to prevent serious social and economic disturbances.
The Netherlands Government believes that in formulating the objectives of the Political Community the creation of a common market should be expressly stated as one of these objectives. Furthermore as a concrete contribution to the realization of this objective it should be decided to establish a Tariff Community and the Treaty itself should elaborate steps to be taken and the period during which it could be realized. Mr. Beyen Note then goes into some detail on the points to be included to this end in the Treaty setting up the Political Community.
The Note concluded by saying that the Netherlands proposals would give the Political Community a positive and constructive task which would contribute to the solidarity of the member states. The task of the Community would be to attack the problem of economic integration beginning with a solution of the problems resulting from the establishment of a Tariff Community and continuing with the problems connected with the creation of a common market. By coordinated cooperation in this task serious repercussions in the individual countries could be avoided.
- Copies were also sent to Bonn, Rome, Paris, Brussels, Luxembourg, and London.↩
- A translation of Beyen’s Dec. 11 memorandum is in file 740.00/12–1752. An analysis of the Dec. 11 memorandum prepared for Tomlinson in a memorandum by Stanley M. Cleveland, dated Dec. 20, is in Bruce Mission files, lot 57 M 38, “CSC—Relations with Member Governments”.↩
- Not printed. A translation of the text of this enclosure is in RA files, lot 58 D 374, “EPC”.↩