THE CREATION OF THE COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EUROPEAN COAL AND STEEL COMMUNITY On 9th May, 1950, M. Robert Schuman, the then Foreign Minister of France, speaking at a Press Conference in Paris, outlined the idea of establishing a Community within Europe to control the production of coal and steel. "The French Govern­ ment", he stated, "propose to place the whole of the Franco­ German production of coal and steel under a common high authorityl within an organisation open to the participation of other countries of Europe ... This will form the first concrete step towards a European Federation, which is indispensable for peace" 2. This statement, apart from the specific mention of a high authority, does not mention any proposed organs of such a Community, and, as will appear, no firm idea of the Community's structure existed at all at that date. Six weeks after this announcement in Paris, a Conference composed of the six States that were to form the Coal and Steel 4 Community3 met under the presidency of M. Monnet • This Conference continued its work "consciencieux et discret, rue 5 Martignac" until March, 1951 • The first reference that one finds to a judicial organ to control the activity of the Community is contained in the document sub­ mitted by the Commissariat general au Plan 6. When compared with 1 The term is given in small letters as a description rather than as a title. 2 Bulletin Quotidien, llth May, 1950.