Celebrating the Europe Day in Geneva (09/05/2012)
The 9th of May is celebrated since 1985 as the Europe Day. It marks the day when in 1950 French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman made a declaration to the international press in Paris presenting his proposal to pool the coal and steel production of France, Germany and other European countries, the sector which had sustained the most dreadful conflict in Europe, the Second World War. The "Schuman Declaration" has laid the first concrete foundation of what is now the European Union.
Today, the 9th of May has become a European symbol which, along with the European flag, the anthem (Beethoven's Ode of Joy) and the single currency (the euro), stands for the political entity of the European Union.
Europe Day is an occasion for activities and festivities organized throughout Europe and in the world. This year the two EU representations in Geneva, the Delegation to the UN and other international organizations and the Mission to the WTO, celebrate jointly the event hosting a reception for the members of the international diplomatic corps in Geneva, the representatives of the international organizations and members of the Geneva community. The 27 Member States of the European Union will join in the celebrations with gastronomic specialties from their countries. The reception will also be the occasion to highlight the contribution of the European Humanitarian Office, ECHO 
[67 KB] , which celebrates this year its 20th Anniversary, to bringing relief to the victims of natural and man-made disasters in the heart of the humanitarian capital Geneva.
