Economy & Single Market

Joseph Bech

Luxembourg Prime Minister, Father of Europe

1887 - 1975 Luxembourg

Prime Minister of Luxembourg, he launched the 1955 Messina Conference that led to the Treaty of Rome. A fervent advocate of European integration and cooperation between small and large countries, the preparatory report for the common market bears his name.

Johan Willem Beyen

Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Father of Europe

1897 - 1976 Netherlands

Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs and promoter of European economic union, together with Paul-Henri Spaak he proposed the relaunch of Europe that led to the 1957 Treaties of Rome and the creation of the common market.

First Vice-President of the European Commission, he was the architect of the Common Agricultural Policy, securing food supply for post-war Europe, before briefly presiding over the Commission in 1972-1973.

President of the European Commission from 1985 to 1995, he was the architect of the Single European Act, the 1992 single market and the early steps of the economic and monetary union that led to the euro.

Met zijn rapport van 1970 tekende hij al de weg naar een Europese eenheidsmunt uit — negenentwintig jaar voordat de euro het levenslicht zag. Zijn naam verdient een plaats naast de andere bouwers van de eengemaakte markt.