FOREIGN OFFICE FILES FOR POST-WAR EUROPE
Series One: The Schuman Plan and the European Coal & Steel Community, 1950-1957

Part 2: Complete FO 371 files for 1954-1955
(PRO Class FO 371/109621, 111250-111264, 111321-111330, 115990-115998, 116036-116057 & 116100-116105)

Part 2 deals with British attitudes to the Schuman Plan from 1954 to 1955, and looks at the continuing problems that the UK had in balancing her position as a European nation whilst upholding her Commonwealth obligations.

Britain, still preferring an inter-governmental rather than a federal approach, monitored the plan closely and the Foreign Office Files reproduced here provide detailed analysis of the discussions from 1954 to 1955.

The following two extracts provide a flavour of the material, with the French at this time continuing to push for complete British involvement:

From files for January 1954: A Record of a Meeting between Sir Cecil Weir and Messrs Monnet, Etzel and Spierenburg, December 1953 (see FO 371/111250):

"M Monnet handed to Sir Cecil Weir on December 24 a letter containing an invitation to Her Majesty's Government to enter into negotiations with the High Authority in order to establish the concrete form of an association between the United Kingdom and the European Coal and Steel Community. The letter also contained certain suggestions which the High Authority thought might be helpful in these negotiations. M Monnet made it clear that the letter had a two fold purpose. Its immediate and most urgent aim was to obtain the agreement of Her Majesty's Government to participate in negotiations. The latter part of the paper containing suggestions would, no doubt, require detailed consideration before anything could be said by the United Kingdom authorities, but M Monnet hoped, particularly in view of French political considerations, that Her Majesty's Government could agree quickly that negotiations should take place, and that these should aim at a concrete form of Association..."

Letter to Eden from Sir Cecil Weir, 17 February 1954 (see FO 371/111322):

"Sir,
The Establishment on the 10th of February 1953 in Western Europe of a Common (or single) market for coal in place of 6 separate national markets is an event of some historical importance, and I feel that it would be appropriate if I were to draw attention in this despatch to the main developments in this market during the first year of its operation, to the main problems which lie ahead, and to the consequences it has had or is likely to have on the coal export trade of the United Kingdom. The essence of the conception of the ECSC is the establishment of a common market permitting consumers in all six member countries to obtain their coal and steel without discrimination and in conditions of fair and open competition. Surveying events after the first year of the existence of the common market for coal (which preceeded that for steel by some 2 to 3 months), one can fairly say that the High Authority have by and large accomplished what it intended under the treaty that they should undertake in that period of time.... "