Tomorrow it will be Europe Day. But what is Europe Day, why is it important and why was the 9th of May chosen?
Europe Day is the day we celebrate European unity and peace.
The 9th of May was chosen because of the so-called Schuman Declaration. This was a proposition made by the French foreign minister, Robert Schuman, on May 9, 1950. The plan aimed to unite the production of coal and steel between France and West Germany under a single authority, which later evolved into the European Coal and Steel Community. This proposal was made one day after the fifth anniversary of the end of World War II, a date now celebrated as Europe Day in the EU.
The ultimate objective of the plan was to foster peaceful relations and political integration between European countries by creating common interests. Schuman believed that by establishing solidarity in production, war between France and Germany would become unthinkable and materially impossible.
The Schuman Declaration received a positive response from Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, as well as the governments of the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, and Luxembourg. As a result, on April 18, 1951, the six founding members signed the Treaty of Paris, which established the European Coal and Steel Community as Europe's first supranational community. This paved the way for the creation of the European Economic Community and eventually the European Union.
The plan worked because there have been no wars between any EU member states since.
So happy Europe Day to everyone!
Kurt, OLS Community Manager – Maltese