España ante la Comunidad Europea del Carbón y del Acero (1950-1967)

Abstract

The European integration process took off with the declaration of 1950, whose first achievement was the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). The Spanish political situation at that time was marked by a deep international isolation as a 0result of the undemocratic nature of Franco's regime. This fact made it impossible for Spain to join this process. However, the creation of this first European Community aroused big interest on the possible in charge of the peaple in charge of the Spanish Foreign Office because of the possible economic repercussions for the Spanish coal, iron and steel industry, and the chances to relieve the Spanish political isolation thanks to a rapprochement with the above-mentioned comunity. Nevertheless, this initial worries about the ECSC gave way very soon the Spanish wishes to approach the new community founded in 1957, the European Economic Community. This essay deals with the Spanish official positions towards the ECSC and the unfruitful efforts to approach this community between 1951 and 1967, having especially resort to the sources of the Foreign Office's Archives.