In diesem Interview schildert Charles Rutten, ehemaliges Mitglied der niederländischen Delegation beim von der Konferenz von Messina gegründeten Regierungsausschuss, die Verfahren des Spaak-Ausschusses zur Ausarbeitung eines Berichts über die Gründung eines gemeinsamen europäischen Marktes.

On 8 September 1955, the Netherlands socialist daily newspaper Het Vrije Volk comments on the decisions adopted by the Foreign Ministers of the six Member States of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), who met two days earlier in Noordwijk (The Hague), and particularly focuses on the agenda for the work of the Intergovernmental Committee established by the Messina Conference (the Spaak Committee).

On 14 October 1955, the French delegation to the Intergovernmental Committee set up with a view to relaunching European integration sends the Committee a memorandum in which it sets out the arrangements to be made for the establishment of a single Common Market.

On 24 October 1955, the Expert Group forwards to the Spaak Committee’s Heads of Delegation an initial working memorandum concerning the conditions for the establishment of the Common Market.

Am 11. und 12. Februar 1956 tagen die Außenminister der sechs Mitgliedstaaten der Europäischen Gemeinschaft für Kohle und Stahl (EGKS) in Brüssel, um eine erste Bilanz der Arbeiten des auf der Konferenz von Messina eingesetzten Regierungsausschusses zu ziehen.

On 13 March 1956, Paul-Henri Spaak, Belgian Foreign Minister, makes a statement to the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in which, emphasising the importance of a Common Market based on a customs union between the Six, he gives a progress report on the work of the Intergovernmental Committee, which he chairs, set up in connection with the revival of European integration.

On 5 July 1955, the French Foreign Ministry draws up a confidential document in which it sets out its general instructions to the French Delegation participating in Brussels in the work of the Intergovernmental Committee set up by the Messina Conference.

On 17 May 1956, Christian Calmes, Secretary-General of the Special Council of Ministers of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), emphasises to Johan Willem Beyen, Netherlands Foreign Minister, the need to establish a post of Political Coordinator for the forthcoming diplomatic discussions on the Common Market and Euratom which, in his view, should constitute a single conference.