ABSTRACT
The foundation of the Council of Europe in May 1949 was a clear example of a situation where the defence of national interests of the participating states triumphed over the wish for greater European unity. In 1948, during its legendary conference in The Hague, the Movement for European Unity had advocated the establishment of a European parliament which would form the basis for the creation of a supranational authority. The result of the subsequent negotiations, however, was the creation of two bodies: a Consultative Assembly, composed of delegates from the national parliaments, without legislative powers, and an intergovernmental Committee of Ministers, which retained all authority. The latter could (and did) veto the Assembly’s recommendations. In 1950, the Committee refused to grant the Assembly more authority. A year later, its president, Paul-Henri Spaak, resigned in despair. This chapter discusses a nearly successful attempt at autonomous policy making in the political field by this organization.
