Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Staatsarchivs 42. (1992)
NAUTZ, Jürgen: Österreichische Überlegungen zur wirtschaftlichen Integration Europas und zum europäischen Machtgleichgewicht. Die wirtschaftspolitischen Arbeiten Richard Schüllers im amerikanischen Exil 1943–1950
Jürgen Nautz Projects of customs-unions between small and big countries might turn up, e. g. between Austria and Germany. The political independence of the small country disappears in such a customs-union. Few small nations are ready to renounce their independence; they consider such unions, concluded by their neighbors, as a threat and oppose them with all their might. Free trade within a group of countries or Inter-European free trade without a customs-union does not presuppose political unity, but it is not a possible combination. England cannot participate in account of her relations with oversea parts of the Empire. Russia, whose foreign trade is of little importance, cannot adapt her economic system to free trade. France and Italy do not admit free competition of the stronger German industries. Free trade could only be achieved between Germany and South Eastern Europe. The result would be once more a German “Mitteleuropa”, inaccept-able to the great majority of the small nations because of political reasons. The small nations may Find the trade agreement policy, initiated by the United States, preferable to the different economically and politically complicated regional projects. This policy, confirmed by the Atlantic Charter, can go a long way promoting the recovery of their trade. After the war all kinds of goods will be urgently needed everywhere. It may be expected that the new restrictions of trade, caused by world crises, will disappear and that tariffs will be of little importance in the first years. Great advantages must result for world economy and for the economy of the small European nati-ons if a period of free trade can be initiated. A Free-Trade Area The Foreign Assistance Act of 1948 (Section 115,b,3) stipulates that the participating countries shall make appropriate provisions for cooperating in facilitating and stimulating an increasing interchange of goods and services among these countries. In order to implement this agreement thirteen European countries have announced their intention of forming a customs union. The Benelux convention to activate such a union for Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg is regarded as the first step. The second is negotiation of a customs union between France and Italy, which, it is estimated, will take six years to complete. The thirteen governments have further resolved to create a study group to examine the problem of forming a customs union for the countries concerned. The requirements of such a union are manifold: thirteen governments have to construct a common tariff to be agreed upon by all their parlia362
