The European Commission’s Action in the Academic and Historical Fields

In 1955, Jean Monnet, then president of the High Authority of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) wrote: “Our Community will only truly be realized if the actions it takes are made public and explained publicly … to the people of our Community.”1 According to Jacques-René Rabier, first director of the Joint Press and Information Service of the ECSC,2 most actors who were active in the High Authority were not interested in information and it was essentially the personal commitment of Monnet that led to the early development of an informational action. The information policy started “spontaneously”3—without being mentioned in the treaties—as early as 1953, although the official Service de Presse et d’Information was created in October 1955. From the very outset, information policy was given a political objective: the creation of European citizens.4 In numerous testimonies, Jacques-René Rabier described himself and his collaborators as “ fonctionnaires-militants” or “missionaries,” who openly admitted their desire to nurture a European consciousness.5 Considering the lack or at least the very limited character of this European spirit after 50 years of European integration, the efficiency of this “militant” information policy should be questioned. In an article discussing the first decade of the Information Service, Piers N. Ludlow underlines the discrepancy between its “lofty ambitions” and the concrete implementation and results of its policies.6