Today is May 9 - Europe Day

Europe Day is a celebration of the European Union, of unity and peace on the old continent. It marks the date when French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman read the historic declaration of European unification.

On May 9, 1950, five years after the end of World War II, he called for the pooling of French and West German resources and the unification of the coal and steel industries in order to avoid future military conflicts. The Schuman Declaration is at the heart of the European Coal and Steel Community, the forerunner of today's EU.

Robert Schuman proposed the creation of a supranational European institution responsible for the management of the industry. Back then, the countries he addressed had been involved in a devastating military conflict. This day marked the beginning of the unification of the countries of Europe and the maintenance of peaceful relations on the Old Continent. The Schuman Declaration is considered to be the foundation of today's united Europe, the beginning of the path to a community of shared values ​​and common interests.

In 1985, at a meeting in Milan, the leaders of the European Union decided that May 9 would be celebrated as Europe Day. Since then, 9 May has symbolized the pursuit of unity, peace and prosperity in Europe.