European Coal and Steel Community

An extraordinary session of the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was held in Strasbourg from November 22 to 25, 1955; Mr. Pella (Italy) was re-elected president. Mr. Etzel, Vice President of the ECSC High Authority, reported that a Ruhr coal cartel was being broken up and three autonomous sales organizations for Ruhr coal were being created in its stead. He declared that under the new arrangement the three sales agencies would maintain independent policies and that die High Authority would supervise their activities to make sure that they did not violate the letter and spirit of Article 65 of the ECSC Treaty, which was ECSC's “anti-trust law”. Mr. Etzel also reported that substantial progress had been made toward breaking up a Belgian coal sales monopoly which had agreed to reorganize itself immediately in order to end infringements upon the Treaty's anti-cartel and fair trade codes. He was less optimistic about progress being made to eliminate a French national coal importing monopoly which prevented French coal consumers from buying coal from ECSC countries through other organizations. In reply to Assembly criticism concerning the High Authority's lack of action concerning the French monopoly, Mr. Etzel stated that a French decision was expected shortly regarding modification of the organization's status and that if the French government refused to conform with the Treaty, the High Authority would seek judicial action against the French government.