On 9 May 1950, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman delivered his well-known declaration calling for a new organisation of States in Europe, a supranational community.
 
That day Robert Schuman made a courageous step and introduced a project for Europe which led to a network of relationships, mutual dependence and the foundation of the European Coal and Steel Community whose success was beneficial for the creation of further intergovernmental bodies and areas of common activities, leading to the establishment of the European Union in 1993  more >>>

 
Schuman, as one of the founding fathers of the European Union, altered the political, economic and psychological outlook of a generation, replacing anxiety and fear by a sense of common purpose and hope followed by a peaceful re-organisation of the post- war Europe.
 
The Schuman Declaration should therefore be commemorated as an expression of a visionary project for Europe which wholly vindicates the courage and decisiveness of its founding leaders and members; 60 years later we need to use it as a source of inspiration to keep building up on the values and goals it set, and to rise to the challenge it represents.
 
The post- Lisbon Europe of today experiences an institutional re-organisation of its bodies aimed at creating a more engaging, more efficient and more democratic Union, and one that is more accessible and accountable to its Citizens too. In this context, the European Citizens’ Initiative is a significant step forward in the democratic life of the Union, and provides a singular opportunity to bring the Union closer to the citizens and to foster greater cross-border debate about EU policy issues. This opportunity must be seized!
 
The financial, economic and social crisis presently affecting Europe and the World needs decisive answers and demands urgent actions. Europeans still value peace and security, but today and now, more than ever, seek reassurance that the contemporary European project is an authentic political vision for a modern society, capable of creating an effective system of economic governance, sustainable social solidarity and security guarantees adapted to and fit for our times.
 
On 9 May 2010, as the European Movement International we invite the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Member States’ parliaments and governments, the social partners and the rest of the European civil society, and all the citizens of Europe to join us in honoring Schuman’s legacy. Let us all together commit ourselves anew to the task of building a united Europe which will deliver peace, tolerance, prosperity and freedom to our peoples and to the wider world, to an enlightened Europe determined to succeed, a wise Europe capable of delivering and a modernized Europe in harmony with the needs of the times. Roll Up