Let’s celebrate Europe Day!

All audiences

On 9 May is usually celebrated the Europe Day, a symbol of the European Union. This day marks the anniversary date of the Declaration from Robert Schuman, French minister of foreign affairs who offered as early as 1950 a new form of cooperation between nations of the European Continent. However, it’s on Saturday 10 May that the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of the City of Paris, the European Parliament and the European Commission will celebrate Europe Day and their commitment to the European project, on the year marking the 75 years of the Schuman Declaration.

“Europe Day is, with the European flag, currency, motto and anthem, one of the symbols of the European Union.” Europe Day celebrates the Schuman Declaration of 9 May 1950, considered as the date of birth of the European Union. This event, which symbolises unity and peace in Europe and is used to better bring together the European institutions and citizens, is celebrated with various activities and events all over the continent. Now, Europe Day is extended as the “Joli mois de l’Europe” (Merry Month of Europe), complete with actions scheduled in all regions at specific dates.

A festive and civic event in Paris

The City of Paris has extended its action to celebrate Europe in a special event organised each year on the Saturday preceding of following Europe Day. This free event allows to meet the general audience for debates, discussions, exhibitions and gastronomic and festive times.

On 10 May, the Place de la République at the heart of Paris will be rocking “to the rhythm of Europe”, during a “festive and civic event to reaffirm Parisians' commitment to a united and democratic European Union”. Round tables, shows and exceptional concerts are scheduled to “celebrate the European values together”. A “lively European village” has been set up, offering fun activities about Europe in a large outdoor toy library, as well as a culinary tour of Europe with Swedish, Polish and Belgian foodtrucks and free concerts by French, Polish and Danish bands! In addition to the fun, debates are organised in plenary session, and more than 35 organisations will be on hand to explain to the general public “how national and European institutions work and how deep is European commitment in key areas such as mobility, citizenship, education and culture”.

The month of Europe everywhere in France and Europe

Besides Paris, many additional events are also available throughout May. The event has become the “Joli mois de l’Europe” to put under the spotlights the European Union and the thousands of projects the institution drives. Once again this year, a large number of French towns are taking part, organising concerts, tours, competitions and culinary tastings around the theme of Europe.

The City of Strasbourg, home to the European Parliament, will organise about 50 events from 3 to 31 May. Are scheduled: educational and fun activities, exhibitions, urban arts, conferences, concerts, etc. And as in Strasbourg, Europe Day is celebrated in all the countries of the EU, as the European Parliament website emphasises, showing just how “close to you” Europe Day always is.

Throughout France, numerous events are scheduled throughout the country, as listed on the website L’Europe s’engage en France, a site run by the Ministry for Spatial Planning and co-financed by the EU, which lists many initiatives, such as:

European towns and information stands;
strolls on bikes, on foot or swimming to discover projects supported by the European Union;
simulations of sessions of the European Parliament;
actions as part of twinnings between European cities;
exhibitions, conferences, debates, language cafés, etc.

Discover all these actions on the website thanks to an agenda and an interactive map where more than 200 events are listed in France and as many in the rest of Europe.

What is the Schuman Declaration?

“Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan. It will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity.”

On 9 May 1950, in Paris, the French Foreign Minister of the time, Robert Schuman, called for the pooling “under an international authority of French and German coal and steel production”. This primarily economic agreement is considered to be the launch of the construction of Europe, insofar as this declaration led to the signing, on 18 April 1951, of the Treaty of Paris, ratified by six European states (West Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands). Together, these countries founded the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), which was in fact the first of the European institutions that would give rise to what is now known as the European Union.