In spring 1950 Europe was on the edge of the abyss. With the onset of the Cold War, the threat of conflict between its eastern and western halves loomed over the continent. Five years after the end of World War Two, the old enemies were still ¹¹a long way from ²reconciliation.
What could be done to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past and to create the right conditions for a ¹lasting peace between such recent enemies? The nub of the problem was the relationship between France and Germany. ¹⁰A link had to be forged between the two and all the ⁵free countries in Europe had to be ³united around them so that they could work together on building a community with ⁹a shared destiny. It was Jean Monnet, with his unique wealth of experience as a negotiator and man of peace, who ⁴suggested to the French Foreign Minister, Robert Schuman, and the German Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, that ⁸a community of interest be established between their countries, in the shape of a jointly managed market in coal and steel under the control of an independent authority. The proposal was officially tabled by France on 9 May 1950, and was warmly received by Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
The treaty establishing the first European Community. the European Coal and Steel Community or ECSC, was eventually signed in April 1951, opening up the door to ¹²a Europe of ⁶practical achievements. Further achievements were to follow until we finally reached the European Union as it is today, ⁷a Union now opening up to the eastern half of the continent from which it has too long been separated.

http://europa.eu.int/abc/obj/chrono/40years/7days/en.htm 06/06/03

No fragmento "a Union" (ref. 7), há uma eufonia. O mesmo processo ocorre em