European Coal and Steel Community

The European Coal and Steel Community (1952-2002) was an intergovernmental organization in. Upon establishment it assumed authority of the coal and steel production in the six founding member states, including the Ruhr area in, which was been under the supervision of the.

The and  were established in 1957, and while all three organizations had their own separate institutions these were merged into a single structure in 1967. This meant that while they technically they continued to exist separate from each other they were governed as a together a single personality under the name of the. By the Maastricht Treaty in 1993 the European Communities became part of and expanded institutional framework, as one of three pillars of the.

In 2002 the duration of the 50 year treaty expired and was not renewed. Its assets and responsibilities were taken over by the European Economic Community, as part of the European Union.