ABSTRACT
‘Europa’, daughter of the King of Tyre, was abducted by Zeus and taken to Crete to become queen and found a dynasty. The kingdom of Tyre was seen as the ancestor of European civilisation and the womb of different religions and cultures. The Greeks came to apply the name not only to their own territory, but also to the lands situated to the north and west. Nonetheless, the idea of Europe remained as a political and cultural entity, although it clearly possessed both diversity and unity. In July 1950 the Belgian and Dutch government's proposed that the High Authority’s actions be subject to review by some forum comprising government representatives. After some discussion this became the Special Council of Ministers, whose official task was to harmonise the actions of the national governments with those of the High Authority. The two Treaties of Rome in 1957 diluted certain things.
