Treaty of Paris (1951)
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The Treaty of Paris (formally the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community) was signed on 18 April 1951 by Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), which subsequently became part of the European Union.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The treaty came into force on 23 July 1952 and expired on 23 July 2002, exactly fifty years after it came into effect.
The treaty was intended to bring diplomatic and economic stability in western Europe after the Second World War. Some of the main enemies during the war were now sharing production of coal and steel, the key resources which previously had been central to the war effort.
The Europe Declaration, issued by the representatives of the six nations, declared that the Treaty had given birth to Europe. The Declaration emphasised that the supranational principle was the foundation of the new democratic organisation of Europe. The supranational concept was opposed by Charles de Gaulle.
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