European Coal and Steel Community

The Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) held an extraordinary session at Strasbourg from November 27 to 30, 1956. It elected as its President, Mr. Hans Furler (German Federal Republic, Ohristian Democrat) and the following Vice-Presidents: Messrs. Jean Fohrmann (Luxembourg, Socialist), Roger Motz (Belgium, Liberal), G. Vixseboxse (Netherlands, Historical Christian), Emile Vanrullen (France, Socialist) and Emilio Battista (Italy, Ohristian Democrat). The Assembly discussed four reports. The first dealt with the crisis in the coal market, and pointed out that one of the causes for the crisis was the exceptional cold the preced-ing winter which had led to heavy drawing on stocks and the oil shortage. Under its Treaty, the ECSC had the duty of seeing that adequate supplies reached its members, but the High Authority had not been given many means of ensuring this. The report recommended that the High Authority, in collaboration with the Assembly's Committee on the common market, take up a number of specific questions relative to coal, preferably in the framework of a special conference along the lines of that set up to study security in the mines. The questions included 1) the coordination of measures proposed within each member country, 2) steps to increase production and to bring about economies in the use of coal and coke, and 3) questions of delivery and the import of coal from the United States. The other three reports dealt with 1) the creation, functions and composition of one or more joint committees (“commissions paritaires”) within the framework of the Community, 2) the social aspects of the proposed common market, and 3) security and rescue systems in the mines of the Community.