On May 9, 1950, Robert Schuman presented his proposal regarding the organization of Europe, essential for maintaining peaceful relations.
Robert Schuman, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, made a historic declaration in the Clock Room of the Quai d’Orsay: he called for the pooling under an international authority of the French and German coal and steel production.
This proposal, known as the “Schuman Declaration,” is considered the birth certificate of the European Union.
Today, May 9 has become a European symbol (Europe Day) which, along with the flag, the anthem, the motto, and the single currency (the euro), identifies the European Union as a political entity.
The European Union is the economic and political association of 28 states belonging to the European continent: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Romania, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Sweden.
Today, the European Union (EU) aims to lay the foundations for an ever closer union between the European states and peoples, to safeguard peace, and to seek political unity. It aims to ensure economic and social progress through joint action: the creation of a European internal market and the strengthening of social cohesion.
Its organization and functioning are based on the Treaty of Lisbon. It has its own institutions and budget. Its main symbols are the starry flag and the European anthem. Some of its members share the same currency: the euro (coins and banknotes).
In 2012, the European Union was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
by Odile Menozzi, President of the European Movement 06
