On 10 June 1947, the European Coal Organisation publishes a report on the situation of the coalfields in Europe and proposes measures to alleviate manpower shortages and to improve the outdated methods of coal production and distribution.

On 5 July 1947, the European Coal Organisation draws up an estimate of the financial investment requested to revive Western Europe's coal sector.

In 1949, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe publishes a report in which it recommends a series of measures to enable the European steel industry to retain a competitive position on the world steel market.

In his memoirs, Robert Schuman, former French Foreign Minister, recalls the reasons behind his commitment to a European coal and steel pool and his decision to take on the political responsibility for such a project.

Dans ses Mémoires, Jean Monnet rappelle pourquoi les secteurs de l'industrie lourde du charbon et de l'acier ont été choisis pour mettre fin aux tensions franco-allemandes et pour concrétiser la construction européenne.

Le charbon et l'acier se devaient d'être pour Jean Monnet, commissaire général au Plan de modernisation et d'équipement, les premiers supports susceptibles d'établir une communauté concrète d'intérêts, ouvrant la voie à la mise en place d'une autorité supranationale dotée de véritables pouvoirs.

‘Mum, Dad, the coalman is here. I haven’t got any money … You haven’t got any money. So who called the coalman …?’ On 10 August 1950, the German cartoonist, Ernst Maria Lang, illustrates the fears of German industry in the light of Jean Monnet’s commitment to a European coal and steel pool.

View of the Völklingen Ironworks in the Saar, a site specialising in iron and steel production.

Lorraine, the French region with a long tradition in the steel industry, is directly concerned by the pooling of coal and steel production in Europe.

Following the end of the Second World War, coal output increases its share in the national economies of Western Europe.

Map illustrating the size of the coalfields and heavy industry regions in some of the Member States of the European Coal and Steel Community in March 1951.

Transporting iron ore by funicular in front of the ARBED steel complex in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.