40th Anniversary of The
Elysee Treaty, January 22, 2003
The Franco-German Relations
- Dominique de Villepin
Minister of Foreign Affairs
The Elysée Treaty between France and the
Federal Republic of Germany, signed 40 years ago by General de Gaulle and Chancellor
Adenauer, set the seal on reconciliation between our two nations and laid the groundwork
for lasting peace on the continent. It ushered in an era of unprecedented cooperation
between the two countries and gave decisive momentum to European cooperation. Our close
dialogue and daily cooperation in economic matters, research, culture and education are
leading to a growing number of exchanges between our societies.
As a result of the Treaty, mechanisms for
coordination and structures for dialogue were set up that have stood the test of time.
Where before we had half-yearly summits, we now have informal meetings in accordance with
the so-called Blaesheim process. Other institutions, unique of their kind, have been set
up such as the Franco-German Youth Office [OFAJ], the Franco-German High Cultural Council,
the ARTE cultural television network and the Franco-German University.
OFAJ exchange programs have benefited seven
million young French and Germans since 1963. Every year 150,000 continue to take part in
OFAJ programs which have been extended to our European partners. Such close links between
the young people of two countries is unprecedented and sets an example well beyond
Europe’s borders.
The anniversary of the Treaty will be an
opportunity to reaffirm the key role that France and Germany intend to continue to play in
European integration, especially in the context of Union enlargement.
For as President Chirac said at the Nantes
summit in November 2001, when the Franco-German engine functions Europe moves forward, and
it stagnates when relations between France and Germany stand still.
The president and chancellor had that in mind
when they announced at the Franco-German summit in Schwerin (July 30, 2002) that they
intended to seek common positions at the next important European meetings. A case in point
was the agreement reached on the sidelines of the European council in Brussels on
financing the common agricultural policy, which paved the way for the historic summit in
Copenhagen.
France and Germany have begun close
cooperation at the Convention on the Future of Europe. They have presented common
contributions on European security and defense policy, and on justice and home affairs.
They are preparing together a common position on the institutions of the European Union
ahead of the 40th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty.
While the end of the Cold War and German
unification began the movement for uniting Europe, the achievements of forty years of
cooperation augur well for the ability of France and Germany to address the challenges of
globalization and provide the necessary drive for European integration in the run-up to
the Union’s historic enlargement. For that reason January 22, 2003 is to mark the
starting point of a new phases in rapprochement between our two countries.
THE ELYSEE TREATY
At the close of the conference which was held
in Paris on January 21 and 22, 1963 and which was attended, on the French side, by the
Premier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of the Armed Forces and the
Minister of Education and, on the German side, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the
Minister of Defense and the Minister of Family and Youth Affairs,
Convinced that the reconciliation of the
German people and the French people, bringing an end to the age-old rivalries, constitutes
a historic event which profoundly transform the relations of the two peoples,
Conscious of the solidarity which unites the
two peoples both with respect to their security and with respect to their economic and
cultural development,
Observing particularly that young people have
become aware of this solidarity and find themselves called upon to play the determinant
role in the consolidation of French-German friendship,
Recognizing that a strengthening of the
cooperation between the two countries constitutes a vital stage along the road to a united
Europe, which is the goal of the two peoples,
Have agreed to the organization and to the
principles of the cooperation between the two States as they are stated in the Treaty
signed this day.
Done at Paris, on the twenty-second day of
January in the year one thousand nine hundred and sixty-three, in both the French and
German languages.
The President of the French Republic :Charles
de Gaulle The Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany : Konrad Adenauer
Treaty Between The Republic And The Federal
Republic Of Germany On French-German Cooperation
Following the Common Declaration of the
President of the French Republic and the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany,
dated January 22, 1963, on the organization and the principles of the cooperation between
the two States, the following provisions have been agreed upon:
I - Organization
1- The Heads of State and Government will
give whenever required the necessary directives and will follow regularly the
implementation of the program set hereinunder. They will meet for this purpose whenever
this is necessary and, in principle, at least twice a year.
2 - The Ministers of Foreign Affairs will see
to the implementation of the program as a whole. They will meet at least once every three
months. Without prejudice to the contacts normally established through the channels of the
embassies, high officials of the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs, responsible
respectively for political, economic and cultural affairs, will meet each month in Paris
and Bonn alternately to survey current problems and to prepare the Ministers' meeting. In
addition, the diplomatic missions and the consulates of the two countries, and also the
permanent missions to the international organizations, will make all the necessary
contacts on the problems of common interest.
3- Regular meetings will take place between
the responsible authorities of the two countries in the fields of defense, education and
youth. These meetings will not in any way affect the functioning of the already existing
bodies - French-German Cultural Commission, Permanent General Staff Group - whose
activities will on the contrary be extended. Both the Ministers of Foreign Affairs will be
represented at these meetings in order to ensure the overall coordination of the
cooperation.
a) The Ministers of the Armed Forces or of
Defense will meet at least once every three months. Similarly, the French Minister of
National Education will meet, at the same intervals, with the person who will be
designated by Germany to follow up the program of cooperation on the cultural level.
b) The Chiefs of Staff of the two countries
will meet at least once every two months; in the event of their being unable to meet, they
will be replaced by their responsible representatives.
c) The French High Commissioner for Youth and
Sports will meet, at least once every two month, with the Federal Minister for Family and
Youth Affairs or his representative.
4 - In each of the countries, an
interministerial commission will be charged with following problems of cooperation. It
will be presided over by a high Foreign Ministry official and it will include
representatives of all the administrations concerned. Its role will be to coordinate the
action of the Ministries concerned and to report periodically to its Government on the
state of French-German cooperation. It will also have the task of presenting all useful
suggestions with a view to implementing the program of cooperation and to its ultimate
extension to new domains.
II - Program
A - Foreign Affairs
1 - The two Governments will consult each
other, prior to any decision, on all important questions of foreign policy, and in the
first place on questions of common interest, with a view to arriving, insofar as possible,
at a similar position.
This consultation will cover, among other
subjects, the following:
-Problems relative to the European
Communities and to European political cooperation;
-East-West relations, both on the political
and economic levels;
-Subjects dealt with in the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization and the various international organizations in which the two
Governments are interested, notably the Council of Europe, Western European Union, the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United Nations and its
specialized agencies.
2- The cooperation already established in the
area of information will be continued and developed between the services concerned in
Paris and Bonn and between the diplomatic missions in other countries.
3- With regard to aid to the emergent
countries, both Governments will systematically compare their programs with a view to
maintaining close cooperation. They will study the possibility of engaging in joint
undertakings. Since several Ministerial departments are responsible for these matters in
both in France and Germany, it will be the duty of the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs
to determine together the practical bases for this cooperation.
4- The two Governments will study together
the means for strengthening their cooperation in other important sectors of economic
policy, such as agricultural and forest policy; energy policy; communications and
transportation problems and industrial development, within the framework of the Common
Market; as well as export credits policy.
B- Defense
1- The following objectives will be pursued
in this domain:
a) On the level of strategy and tactics, the
competent authorities of both countries will endeavor to harmonize their doctrines with a
view to arriving at mutual concepts. French-German institutes for operational research
will be created.
b) Exchanges of personnel between the armed
forces will be increased. These particularly concern professors and students from the
general staff schools. They may include temporary detachments of entire units. In order to
facilitate these exchanges, an effort will be made on both sides to give the trainees
pratical language instruction.
c) With regard to armaments, both Governments
will endeavor to organize a joint program from the the time of drafting appropriate
armaments projects and formulating financing plans.
To this end, joint committees will study the
research being conducted on these projects in both countries and will carry out a
comparative study. They will submit proposals to the Ministers, who will examine them
during their quarterly meetings and will give the necessary directives for implementation.
C - Education and Youth
With regard to education and youth, the
proposals contained in the French and German memoranda of September 19 and November 8,
1962 will be studied, in accordance with the procedures indicated hereinabove.
1 - In the field of education, the effort
will chiefly concern the following points:
a) Language instruction:
The two Government recognize the essential
importance that the knowledge in each of the two countries of the other's language holds
for French-German cooperation. They will endeavor, to this end, to take concrete measures
with a view to increasing the number of German students learning the French language and
that of French students learning the German language.
The Federal Government will examine, with the
governments of the Laender competent in this matter, how it is possible to introduce
regulations making it possible to achieve this objective.
In all the establishments for higher
education, practical courses in French will be organized in German and practical courses
in German will be organized in France, which will be open to all students.
b) The problem of equivalences:
The competent authorities of both countries
will be asked to accelerate the adoption of provisions concerning the equivalence of
academic periods, examinations and university degrees and diplomas.
c) Cooperation in scientific
research:
Research bodies and scientific institutes
will increase their contacts, beginning with more extensive reciprocal information.
Concerted research programs will be established in the areas in which it will appear
possible.
2 - All opportunities will be offered to the
young people of both countries in order to draw closer the ties that unite them and to
strengthen their mutual cooperation. Collective exchanges, particularly, will be
increased.
A body whose purpose will develop these
possibilities and to promote exchanges will be created by the two countries with an
autonomous administrative council at its head. This body will have at its disposal a joint
French-German fund for the exchanges between the two countries of pupils, students, young
artists and workers.
III - Final Provisions
1- The necessary directives will be be given
in each country for the immediate enactment of the preceeding. The Minister of Foreign
Affairs will examine the progress made at each of their meetings.
2- The two Governments will keep the
Governments of the member States of the European Communities informed on the development
of French-German cooperation.
3- With the exception of the provisions
concerning defense, the present Treaty will also be applied to the Land of Berlin, barring
a contrary declaration made by the Government of the federal Republic of Germany of the
government of the French Republic in the three months following the entry into force of
the present Treaty.
4- The two Governments may make any
improvements which might appear desirable for the implementation of the present Treaty.
5- The present treaty will enter into force
as soon as each of the two Governments will have made known to the other that, on the
domestic level, the necessary conditions for its implementation have been fulfilled.
Done at Paris on the twenty-second day of
January in the year one thousand nine hundred and sixty-three, in both the French and
German languages, both texts being equally authentic.
The President of the French Republic :
Charles de Gaulle
The French Premier : Georges Pompidou
The French Minister of Foreign Affairs:
Maurice Couve de Murvile
The Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs, of
the Federal Republic of Germany : Gerhard Schroeder
Text courtesy: Embassy of France in
Kathmandu, Nepal. |
