In this interview excerpt, Philippe de Schoutheete, Honorary Belgian Ambassador, describes the origins of his interest in European cooperation following the Second World War, particularly referring to a memorable trip he took across Germany to Copenhagen.

In this interview excerpt, Philippe de Schoutheete, Honorary Belgian Ambassador who joined the Belgian Foreign Ministry in 1956, recounts the early days of his diplomatic career with respect to the cooperation between the Benelux countries in economic affairs and trade. This cooperation was deemed tangible and efficient, particularly in terms of the elimination of obstacles to trade in agricultural products, while the prospects offered by the Rome Treaties still seemed a long way off.