May 9th. Europe Day

 

Affiche 9 maiMay 9th is Europe Day. It remembers May 9, 1950, the day when Robert Schuman, the then Minister of French Foreign Affairs, gave a speech (known best as the Schuman Declaration), which became the true starting point for European integration.
2010 is indeed a special year; it is the 60th anniversary of the now famous Schuman Declaration.
It was in 1985 that the Member States of the European Community decided to make May 9 Europe Day, a sort of “European national holiday.” Since that date, Europe Day has become a symbol of the European Union, just like the European flag, the motto “United in Diversity", the hymn (Ode to Joy from Beethoven’s 9th symphony, played without words to signify the linguistic diversity of the Union), and the single currency (the Euro).
Every year, Europe Day is an opportunity for festivities and popular gatherings all over Europe for its citizens and also a time to hold moments of reflection on the European project. In France, the European institutions and national governments, local authorities and businesses all join forces to organize a “European Village” with lectures, concerts, street parties etc.
The objective of May 9th: to celebrate European unity!

Click to learn more about Robert Schuman

 
 

Picturing Europe Competition

 
 
The European Commission is participating, for the first time at the MIPTV in Cannes in a competition to promote Europe and its diversity.
Professionals and amateurs are invited to participate by making a video clip of 3 minutes or less using at least 50% of the archives available on the Europa website.
View the other participants.
 
 

Visiting the European institutions in Strasbourg

 
conseileuropeHow to visit the European institutions in Strasbourg : European Parliament, Council of Europe, European Court of Human Rights.
> For more information
 
 

The member states of the European Union

 
carte_ue27In the fifties when the composition and functionality of the European Institutions were drafted, the European Community counted only six member states. Since that time the union expanded six times and consists now of 27 member states. Altogether it forms a space with 500 million inhabitants.
The member states of the European Union: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
 
 

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European diary


    • From 6 september 2010 to 9 september 2010

      Plenary Session of the European Parliamant in Strasbourg- September I

    • The plenary session of the European Parliament is where the Parliament formally sits to vote on EU legislation and adopt its position on political issues. The plenary sessions take place 12 times a year in Strasbourg and there are also 6 mini-plenary sessions held in Brussels.
    • Place: European Parliament in Strasbourg

    • From 20 september 2010 to 23 september 2010

      Plenary session in the European Parliament in Strasbourg- September II

    • The plenary session of the European Parliament is where the Parliament formally sits to vote on EU legislation and adopt its position on political issues. The plenary sessions take place 12 times a year in Strasbourg and there are also 6 mini-plenary sessions held in Brussels.
    • Place: European Parliament in Strasbourg