[1] The Ruhr region of Germany has historically been key to the country’s industrial strength due to its rich supply of coal and coke which attracted iron, steel and heavy engineering plants.

As a consequence, French policy shifted to ensure that economic recovery in Germany was coupled with safeguards for France regarding Ruhr coal and steel.

[4]: 184–185 The International Authority for the Ruhr (IAR) was created as part of the agreement negotiated at the London Six-Power Conference in June 1948 to establish the Federal Republic of Germany.

[5] The New York Times said the IAR was "designed to convert this Pandora's box that has loosed so much evil on the world into an instrument for peace and prosperity.

[6] The mechanism outlined in the Ruhr Agreement to allocate coal and steel supplies was a council composed of representatives of the signatory governments of the London Six-Power Conference.

"[2]: 353 During the period of its operation, the main power exercised by the International Authority for the Ruhr (IAR) was fixing of the amount of coal to be exported from Western Germany.

That treaty was initialled on 18 April 1951,[10] but still needed to be ratified by the signatory governments (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands).

In the fall of 1951, therefore, it was decided to move the coal allocation function away from the "tensions and frictions" of the IAR to Bonn, where the economic advisors of the Allied High Commission "could negotiate in an atmosphere more conducive to compromise.

By the middle of 1952 the Schuman plan proposal was ratified and the European Coal and Steel Community agreement entered into force on 23 July 1952.

[2]: 357 The London Agreement defines the Ruhr Area within North Rhine-Westphalia by listing 36 districts in the regions of Düsseldorf, Münster, and Arnsberg.