European Communities1

The press reported that the European Parliamentary Assembly, meeting on March 28–April 1, 1960, began its session with the election of Prof. Hans Furler, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the West German Bundestag, to the presidency, succeeding Robert Schuman of France. The voting reflected party alignment that ignored the nationalities of the members, Dr. Furler, candidate of the Democratic Christian group, having defeated Gaetano Martino of Italy, candidate of the Liberal group. The Socialists, the third party in the Parliament, had not presented a candidate. Prior to a debate on economic policy, Dr. Furler took the rostrum to thank Mr. Schuman for his efforts on behalf of the European Communities, as it was he who had started the six-nation federation with his proposal for the combination of French and West German coal and steel production. Dr. Furler then asked the Parliament to establish the common market at a faster pace than that specified in the 1957 Treaty of Rome, which had brought the market into existence. In this he was aided by Walter Hallstein, president of the Administrative Commission of the European Economic Community (EEC), who explained the proposals for acceleration of the common market and urged their support as a defense against any Soviet trade war against the West. The proposals centered around a 30-percent reduction in the internal customs of the six member states by July 1, 1960, as well as a start toward the establishment of a common exterior tariff. The members had reservations against the plan, but expressed general support for it in a resolution which received near-unanimous approval (the exceptions being one negative vote and two abstentions).