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Here we are at one of the main steps of European integration. Being faded the premature dream of a Defence Union and of a Political Union, the works start again and they came back to the market option: the one of E.C.S.C. treaty, but the market ground enlarges. Above all Messina Conference, on an Italian initiative, in 1955; then, Spaak commissions prepares the work. We arrive to 1957, Rome Treaties, March 25, signed in the Capitol: the founding treaty of European Economic Community, the EEC and the EURATOM Treaty, for the atomic energy with pacific aims, bound to be disregarded for the troubles in conciliating the different European points of view. The Eec treaty is the fundamental one, it’s the architecture of the coming European community and of the future European Union. I’d like to underline the situation which the EEC treaty came to determine, i.e. the co-existence of 3 different communities and this will be the main problem during the 60s. On one hand we still have the E.C.S.C., with its High Authority, on the other hand we have the EEC, with the Commission and then we have the EURATOM, with a own Commission too, the Council, and the Parliament Representative. The first overcoming of this anomaly will take place in the 60s with the fusion treaty, wich join the three communities in singles institutions: only one Council and only one Commission, on the 1st July 1967. Jean Rey Commission debuts, which is a Commission dealing with all the three communities. But the 60s are charachterized by the first application difficulties foe EEC, especially because of the position of General De Gaulle, President of French Republic, who tries to increase intergovernmental elements rather than international powers, international institutions (the so-called Fouchet plan),on one hand; on the other hand reacted with disappointment to the request put forward by Great Britain of joining the community. This are the troubles that leads to the so-called crisis of the empty chair, in 1965, with the withdrawal of French delegations from the community isitutions. They came to a compromise, the Luxemburg Compromise, in January 1966, wich in practice recognize to the member States an almost right of veto, about the main questions. I had a quite particular experience: during the 80s the Lexemburg compromise was still perfectly in force, they used to invoke it in order to not invoke it, that is in order of not apply it, but sometimes they came to face very difficult situations, for instance in the field of farming. I remember 52 hours of work, almost ceaseless, in 1985 under Italian Presidence and the Lexemburg compromise invoked by the German delegation. A quick final glance at the situation out of Eauropean countries. In 1960 a 7 parts union, the EFTA, a free trade association among 7 countries that will slowly enter the community, but Switzerland wich in practice is still out of community horizon, but history goes on.
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