President of The Commission of The European Economic Community
In 1957, Hallstein was unanimously elected the first president of the Commission of the European Economic Community (now the European Commission) in Brussels, and at the beginning of January 1958 he took up the post. He was officially appointed on 7 January 1958. He was to be re-elected in 1960, 1962, and 1964, and remain until 1967.
In 1961 he was awarded the Charlemagne prize (Karlspreis) by the City of Aachen for his efforts in the cause of European federation.
In 1962, when the United Kingdom and Ireland were applying to join the European Economic Community, he startled an Irish journalist by saying that he had not thought it necessary even to open, let alone read Ireland's application. He then memorably summed up Ireland's dilemma "If the UK goes in, you go also; if not you too will stay out. Britain can possibly come in without Ireland but Ireland cannot come in without Britain." The French veto on the United Kingdom indeed made it effectively impossible for Ireland to join until the removal of the French veto made it possible for both to join in 1972.
As a proponent of a federal Europe with a strong Commission and Parliament, he was opposed to de Gaulle's vision of an Europe des États (Europe of States) with more power retained by national governments, and in September 1967 he was forced to resign as president of the Commission.
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