OPEN LETTER to President Barroso, Mr Herman van Rumpuy, Member State governments, Presidents of the European Parliament and the Consultative Committees: the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of Regions.
From: David Price, Editor
Schuman Project
Dear President Barroso and Presidents of European institutions,
Today 18 April 2011 marks the sixtieth Anniversary of the foundation of European Democracy. It is also the Birthday of the Commission although the Commission together with the other institutions that were also created that day refuse to acknowledge it. Not even a press release was published.
It is the designated day to commemorate the birth of Europe. It is set by treaty and the by moral authority of all Europeans 60 years ago. That was agreed with huge majorities in all the eleven parliamentary debating chambers of the original Six founding Member States. The Founding Fathers also expressed themselves very clearly. They signed a document -- the Declaration of Inter-Dependence -- saying so.
Konrad Adenauer (West Germany),
Paul van Zeeland, Joseph Meurice (Belgium),
Robert Schuman (France),
Count Sforza (Italy)
Joseph Bech (Luxembourg),
Dirk Stikker and J. R. M. van den Brink (The Netherlands)
signed this document declaring the exact principles and the exact method which laid the TRUE FOUNDATION of a united democratic Europe.
After they had signed the Treaty of Paris creating Europe's first supranational Community, they reinforced it with this separate Declaration of Inter-Dependence.
It celebrates the way to create PEACE.
It celebrates the way to create EUROPEAN DEMOCRACY.
It says that 18 April should be regarded as the TRUE FOUNDATION of a democratic and political entity that had never existed as such before --- EUROPE.
The first European Community laid the foundation for
a peace system,
Today we are celebrating the LONGEST PERIOD OF PEACE in more than 2000 years of European history. At no time in the history of Europe was the territory of the original Six founder States of Europe free from war for more than about fifty years. Usually it was a great deal less.
Every generation in the past knew WAR. Now every generation since World War 2 knows only one thing inside the European Community -- PEACE.
That has NOT happened before.
And yet in spite of all that diversity the New Europeans all have agreed on one thing. They want peace. And they agreed on the Method. That was the the SUPRANATIONAL method of the Community.
It has peace as a SUPRANATIONAL COMMUNITY. It works. Robert Schuman called it an innovation like a great 'scientific discovery'.
Why is the European Commission not explaining HOW it works? Why is it not explaining the difference between Supranational Democracy which works and internationalism or inter-governmentalism which will inevitably FAIL? History shows that to be the case.
That COMMUNITY was founded 60 years ago today. On that day the totally independent States of Europe agreed to a new institution, the European Commission, then called the High Authority. It would have supranational powers. That means it would exercise independent judgement, in the same way as a judge must in Court. It should NOT be in dialogue or tied to any enterprise, labour force, consumer group, nation, political party or other interest group or lobby. It should not take instructions from any government, and that includes resigning when they want a new minister. We would not expect that of a High Court judge. It would function according to universal values such as truth and justice. It would respect the framework agreement of all European States -- the Convention of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
To work properly supranational democracy has a minimum of FIVE independent institutions. The Commission's members were to be selected by the governments to fulfill these criteria and also have sound judgement and the necessary experience. (That independence is a continuing struggle as politicians refuse to stop acting like prima donnas. They want to nominate their man or woman in the Commission, an act which is completely illegal in the Community system.)
The Commission's proposals, made as fair as they could judge, were then subject to Legal Opinions from three representative groups: governments, organized civil society (directly elected in their own parliament) and all individuals (represented by the European Parliament). Thus all sections of society should be consulted who were affected by the powers of the Commission. It would then enter into a full dialogue before the proposals became law by their publication by the Commission in the Official Journal. A court also of independent lawyers was given the task to act as a means of legal appeal, should any institution, or organization or individual feel that it was being discriminated. Any such person can ask the European Court a relevant question via a local, regional or national court or even a tribunal.
Because of that great innovation, Europe has had peace since 1945 -- 66 years of peace, totally unknown in the past. Instead of having another war the next generation after World War 2, Europe found a way to peace. That is a fact of history.
This political design was agreed by all governments and signed by their plenipotentiaries on 18 April 1951. It had as its prime goal and purpose:
TO MAKE WAR NOT ONLY UNTHINKABLE BUT MATERIALLY IMPOSSIBLE.
It succeeded.
Peace can only come from TRUTH, Justice and Morality. That was also described in the DEMOCRATIC principles that the leaders defined on that great, historic day, sixty years ago. They said that the TRUE FOUNDATION for building Europe was SUPRANATIONAL DEMOCRACY.
Why, Mr President Barroso, are the European Institutions REFUSING to celebrate this event?
Why do all the histories you publish and all the discussions on Europe start with 1957 and the treaties of Rome?
Why are the politicians REFUSING to spend a Euro of taxpayers' money on commemorating this date?
WHY was there not even a simple Press Release today? Is the Commission not even free enough to commemorate this great day of PEACE -- perhaps the greatest event in some 2000 years of European history?
Is it because the politicians WANT to abandon SUPRANATIONAL DEMOCRACY? What other possible motive do you think they can have?
Is this the reason that the European institutions still refuse to publish the Declaration of Inter-Dependence that the European Founding Fathers signed on this day six decades ago?
I am enclosing a copy of that Declaration below.
Yours sincerely,
David Price
Schuman Project
The President of the Federal Republic of Germany, His Royal Highness the Prince Royal of Belgium, the President of the French Republic, the President of the Italian Republic, Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Her Majesty, the Queen of The Netherlands,
Considering that world peace can only be safeguarded by creative efforts commensurate with the dangers threatening it;
Convinced that the contribution that an organized and invigorated Europe can bring to civilization is indispensable to the maintenance of peaceful relations;
Conscious that Europe will not be constructed except by concrete achievements establishing first of all the reality of partnership, and by the establishment of common bases for economic development;
Anxious to cooperate through the expansion of their primary products in raising the standard of living and in progressing in works of peace;
Resolved to transform their age-long rivalry through the unification of their essential interests, and, by the inauguration of an economic Community, to assemble the initial basis for a broader and deeper Community of peoples who had for centuries been opposed in bloody conflicts, and to set the foundations of institutions capable of providing a direction to a destiny that is henceforward shared,
Have decided to create a European Coal and Steel.Community
This work, that has just been confirmed by our signature, we owe to the wisdom of our delegations and to the perseverance of our experts. We are deeply grateful to them.
Even before the work was set in motion, the virtues of the idea that inspired it had already aroused in our countries and beyond its borders an extraordinary surge of hope and confidence.
In signing the treaty founding the European Community for Coal and Steel Community, a community of 160 million Europeans, the contracting parties give proof of their determination to call into life the first supranational institution, and consequently create the true foundation for an organized Europe.
This Europe is open to all European countries that are able to choose freely for themselves. We sincerely hope that other countries will join us in our common endeavour.
In full awareness of the need to reveal the significance of this first step by sustained action in other sectors, we have the hope and the will in the same spirit that presided in the elaboration of this Treaty, to bring the current projects now in preparation to a successful conclusion. The work will be pursued in conjunction with the existing European bodies.
These initiatives, each with their particular objective, should rapidly take their place within the framework of a European Political Community, the concept of which is being elaborated in the Council of Europe. This should result in the coordination and simplification of the European institutions as a whole.
All these efforts will be guided by the growing conviction that the countries of free Europe are inter-dependent and that they share a common destiny. We will strengthen this sentiment by combining our energies and our determination, and bringing our work into harmony through frequent consultations and building ever-increasing trust through our contacts.
Herein lies the significance of this day. We have no doubt its importance will be understood by the public opinion of our countries and by our parliaments, who are called to decide on its ratification. The governments that together are represented here will act to all as interpreters of our common will to build a peaceful and prosperous Europe. And together we will serve Europe.
The declaration was signed by Konrad Adenauer (West Germany), Paul van Zeeland, Joseph Meurice (Belgium), Robert Schuman (France), Count Sforza (Italy) Joseph Bech (Luxembourg), Dirk Stikker and J. R. M. van den Brink (The Netherlands).
From: David Price, Editor
Schuman Project
Dear President Barroso and Presidents of European institutions,
Today 18 April 2011 marks the sixtieth Anniversary of the foundation of European Democracy. It is also the Birthday of the Commission although the Commission together with the other institutions that were also created that day refuse to acknowledge it. Not even a press release was published.
It is the designated day to commemorate the birth of Europe. It is set by treaty and the by moral authority of all Europeans 60 years ago. That was agreed with huge majorities in all the eleven parliamentary debating chambers of the original Six founding Member States. The Founding Fathers also expressed themselves very clearly. They signed a document -- the Declaration of Inter-Dependence -- saying so.
Konrad Adenauer (West Germany),
Paul van Zeeland, Joseph Meurice (Belgium),
Robert Schuman (France),
Count Sforza (Italy)
Joseph Bech (Luxembourg),
Dirk Stikker and J. R. M. van den Brink (The Netherlands)
signed this document declaring the exact principles and the exact method which laid the TRUE FOUNDATION of a united democratic Europe.
After they had signed the Treaty of Paris creating Europe's first supranational Community, they reinforced it with this separate Declaration of Inter-Dependence.
It celebrates the way to create PEACE.
It celebrates the way to create EUROPEAN DEMOCRACY.
It says that 18 April should be regarded as the TRUE FOUNDATION of a democratic and political entity that had never existed as such before --- EUROPE.
The first European Community laid the foundation for
a peace system,
- the complete transformation of the Continent,
- breaking the powers of dictatorships,
- healing the division of Europe of the Cold War,
- in the creation of a new entity called EUROPE,
- living in peace and security
- with an unprecedented level of prosperity,
- unknown in all the separate national histories,
- with its own European foreign policy,
- a Single Market,
- a Single Currency,
- a Single, supranational European democracy and
- the European Reconciliation of ideas, governments, peoples and interests.
Today we are celebrating the LONGEST PERIOD OF PEACE in more than 2000 years of European history. At no time in the history of Europe was the territory of the original Six founder States of Europe free from war for more than about fifty years. Usually it was a great deal less.
Every generation in the past knew WAR. Now every generation since World War 2 knows only one thing inside the European Community -- PEACE.
That has NOT happened before.
- Not in the time of the Romans,
- not in the time after the removal of the Roman military dictatorship from Europe,
- not during the time of Roman Emperor Constantine when the capital of the Empire moved to Constantinople, nor at any time till it fell in 1453,
- not during the time of Justinian and his Code,
- not during the time of Goths,
- not during the time of Charlemagne,
- not during the time of Otto,
- not during the Normans,
- not during the low Middle Ages, nor the middle Middle Ages nor the High Middle Ages,
- not under the popes, nor under the emperors,
- not under the Hohenstaufen, nor under Habsburgs,
- not when Europeans where fighting Islamic invasions,
- nor when the were conducting crusades abroad,
- not when the population was diminished by plague,
- nor when they grew in population,
- not when the religion was that of the Roman pontiffs or that of Luther,
- not under kings, nor emperors nor republics,
- not under the 'enlightenment', nor 'humanism', or the age of 'reason',
- not in the age of the French royal absolutism, the Republic or Napoleonism,
- not in the time of industrialization, nor peasant agriculture,
- not under the Congress of Europe,
- not under the League of Nations,
- not in the age of colonialism, nor when the Europeans lost the colonies,
- nor has Europe ever created a United States of Europe based on the American model. It has always been in a constant state of European civil war -- until 18 April 1951.
And yet in spite of all that diversity the New Europeans all have agreed on one thing. They want peace. And they agreed on the Method. That was the the SUPRANATIONAL method of the Community.
It has peace as a SUPRANATIONAL COMMUNITY. It works. Robert Schuman called it an innovation like a great 'scientific discovery'.
Why is the European Commission not explaining HOW it works? Why is it not explaining the difference between Supranational Democracy which works and internationalism or inter-governmentalism which will inevitably FAIL? History shows that to be the case.
That COMMUNITY was founded 60 years ago today. On that day the totally independent States of Europe agreed to a new institution, the European Commission, then called the High Authority. It would have supranational powers. That means it would exercise independent judgement, in the same way as a judge must in Court. It should NOT be in dialogue or tied to any enterprise, labour force, consumer group, nation, political party or other interest group or lobby. It should not take instructions from any government, and that includes resigning when they want a new minister. We would not expect that of a High Court judge. It would function according to universal values such as truth and justice. It would respect the framework agreement of all European States -- the Convention of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
To work properly supranational democracy has a minimum of FIVE independent institutions. The Commission's members were to be selected by the governments to fulfill these criteria and also have sound judgement and the necessary experience. (That independence is a continuing struggle as politicians refuse to stop acting like prima donnas. They want to nominate their man or woman in the Commission, an act which is completely illegal in the Community system.)
The Commission's proposals, made as fair as they could judge, were then subject to Legal Opinions from three representative groups: governments, organized civil society (directly elected in their own parliament) and all individuals (represented by the European Parliament). Thus all sections of society should be consulted who were affected by the powers of the Commission. It would then enter into a full dialogue before the proposals became law by their publication by the Commission in the Official Journal. A court also of independent lawyers was given the task to act as a means of legal appeal, should any institution, or organization or individual feel that it was being discriminated. Any such person can ask the European Court a relevant question via a local, regional or national court or even a tribunal.
Because of that great innovation, Europe has had peace since 1945 -- 66 years of peace, totally unknown in the past. Instead of having another war the next generation after World War 2, Europe found a way to peace. That is a fact of history.
This political design was agreed by all governments and signed by their plenipotentiaries on 18 April 1951. It had as its prime goal and purpose:
TO MAKE WAR NOT ONLY UNTHINKABLE BUT MATERIALLY IMPOSSIBLE.
It succeeded.
Peace can only come from TRUTH, Justice and Morality. That was also described in the DEMOCRATIC principles that the leaders defined on that great, historic day, sixty years ago. They said that the TRUE FOUNDATION for building Europe was SUPRANATIONAL DEMOCRACY.
Why, Mr President Barroso, are the European Institutions REFUSING to celebrate this event?
Why do all the histories you publish and all the discussions on Europe start with 1957 and the treaties of Rome?
Why are the politicians REFUSING to spend a Euro of taxpayers' money on commemorating this date?
WHY was there not even a simple Press Release today? Is the Commission not even free enough to commemorate this great day of PEACE -- perhaps the greatest event in some 2000 years of European history?
Is it because the politicians WANT to abandon SUPRANATIONAL DEMOCRACY? What other possible motive do you think they can have?
Is this the reason that the European institutions still refuse to publish the Declaration of Inter-Dependence that the European Founding Fathers signed on this day six decades ago?
I am enclosing a copy of that Declaration below.
Yours sincerely,
David Price
Schuman Project
Europe Declaration
18 April 1951
The following CHARTER OF THE COMMUNITY was made and signed on same day as europe's founding treaty of paris, creating the european coal and steel community. This DECLARATION of INTER-DEPENDENCE affirms that europe must be built on supranational democratic principles.
The President of the Federal Republic of Germany, His Royal Highness the Prince Royal of Belgium, the President of the French Republic, the President of the Italian Republic, Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Her Majesty, the Queen of The Netherlands,
Considering that world peace can only be safeguarded by creative efforts commensurate with the dangers threatening it;
Convinced that the contribution that an organized and invigorated Europe can bring to civilization is indispensable to the maintenance of peaceful relations;
Conscious that Europe will not be constructed except by concrete achievements establishing first of all the reality of partnership, and by the establishment of common bases for economic development;
Anxious to cooperate through the expansion of their primary products in raising the standard of living and in progressing in works of peace;
Resolved to transform their age-long rivalry through the unification of their essential interests, and, by the inauguration of an economic Community, to assemble the initial basis for a broader and deeper Community of peoples who had for centuries been opposed in bloody conflicts, and to set the foundations of institutions capable of providing a direction to a destiny that is henceforward shared,
Have decided to create a European Coal and Steel.Community
This work, that has just been confirmed by our signature, we owe to the wisdom of our delegations and to the perseverance of our experts. We are deeply grateful to them.
Even before the work was set in motion, the virtues of the idea that inspired it had already aroused in our countries and beyond its borders an extraordinary surge of hope and confidence.
In signing the treaty founding the European Community for Coal and Steel Community, a community of 160 million Europeans, the contracting parties give proof of their determination to call into life the first supranational institution, and consequently create the true foundation for an organized Europe.
This Europe is open to all European countries that are able to choose freely for themselves. We sincerely hope that other countries will join us in our common endeavour.
In full awareness of the need to reveal the significance of this first step by sustained action in other sectors, we have the hope and the will in the same spirit that presided in the elaboration of this Treaty, to bring the current projects now in preparation to a successful conclusion. The work will be pursued in conjunction with the existing European bodies.
These initiatives, each with their particular objective, should rapidly take their place within the framework of a European Political Community, the concept of which is being elaborated in the Council of Europe. This should result in the coordination and simplification of the European institutions as a whole.
All these efforts will be guided by the growing conviction that the countries of free Europe are inter-dependent and that they share a common destiny. We will strengthen this sentiment by combining our energies and our determination, and bringing our work into harmony through frequent consultations and building ever-increasing trust through our contacts.
Herein lies the significance of this day. We have no doubt its importance will be understood by the public opinion of our countries and by our parliaments, who are called to decide on its ratification. The governments that together are represented here will act to all as interpreters of our common will to build a peaceful and prosperous Europe. And together we will serve Europe.
The declaration was signed by Konrad Adenauer (West Germany), Paul van Zeeland, Joseph Meurice (Belgium), Robert Schuman (France), Count Sforza (Italy) Joseph Bech (Luxembourg), Dirk Stikker and J. R. M. van den Brink (The Netherlands).