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

850.33/11–2454: Telegram

No. 231
The United States Representative to the European Coal and Steel Community (Bruce) to the Department of State¹

confidential

Paris, November 24, 1954—10 p.m.

Coled 50. Subject is CSC. Reference: Coled D–29.²

1. On November 22 CSC Council of Ministers³ unanimously approved draft treaty on UK association with amendments worked out earlier by High Authority and representatives of CSC member governments. High Authority will now endeavor secure UK agreement to revised draft treaty and plans to submit definitive text to Council on December 7. Monnet’s trip to London for final negotiations with UK Government is not scheduled to take place until after December 10.

2. Revised draft treaty differs from previous version transmitted Coled D–29 essentially in that it imposes certain degree of limitations on High Authority’s freedom of action in dealing with UK in association body, now called “committee of association”. Additional protocol between High Authority and Council of Ministers provides that High Authority will communicate to Council agendas and minutes of committees meetings, reports of working groups, et cetera. High Authority agreed to protocol in order to counteract German insistence that CSC member governments be represented by observers at all meetings of committee of association.

3. Amendments also provide for joint meetings among High Authority, UK, and Council of Ministers on all matters of common interest where member governments have retained responsibility under CSC treaty. Such joint meetings will not be convened for discussion of any matters for which High Authority has sole responsibility under CSC treaty. In negotiations with UK under section 14 of transitional convention for which High Authority must have mandate from member governments, latter may delegate observers.

4. Monnet, Spierenburg and other High Authority officials with whom we have spoken appear satisfied with revised draft treaty. High Authority was surprised at conciliatory attitude taken by French during Council meeting. In fact, French Minister Ulver, chairman of Council, aided High Authority in persuading Germans not to insist on national observers within committee of association.

5. High Authority officials interpret approval of draft treaty for UK association as ruling out effort by any of governments tending to bring supranational coal and steel community within framework of Western European union.⁴

Bruce

1. Repeated to Luxembourg, London, Bonn, Brussels, The Hague, and Rome.
2. Not printed; this despatch, transmitted from Luxembourg on Oct. 27, enclosed the text of the draft treaty on association between the United Kingdom and the Coal and Steel Community that had been worked out in informal negotiations. This text of the draft treaty had already been approved by the British Cabinet. (850.33/10–2754)
3. This was a special session of the Council of Ministers which was to meet in Luxembourg in order to discuss the draft treaty. The amended draft of this treaty, approved by the Council at this meeting, was transmitted to the Department of State in despatch Coled D–37 from Luxembourg, Nov. 26. (850.33/11–2654)

4. After further negotiations between representatives of the High Authority and the United Kingdom, the Department of State was informed in telegram Coled 54 from Paris, Dec. 10, that the treaty would be initialed in London on Dec. 11. The formal signing ceremony was scheduled for Dec. 21 in London with representatives of the High Authority, United Kingdom, and the governments of the six Coal and Steel Community member states. (850.33/12–1054) The final text of the Agreement on British Association with the Coal and Steel Community was transmitted to the Department of State in despatch Coled D–51 from Luxembourg, Dec. 14, 1954. (850.33/12–1454) The British Foreign Office published the text of the agreement and related documents in Command Paper 9346 (London, December 1954).

   In addition to the signing of the treaty, representatives of the High Authority and the United Kingdom also signed two exchanges of letters; the first permitted the British Government to delegate members of the Coal and Steel Boards to sit on the Council of Association, while the second, which was not made public, expressed the intention of the High Authority to establish diplomatic representation in the United Kingdom. (Telegram Coled 56 from Paris, Dec. 20; 850.33/12–2054)