Europe Day 2020: Cities around the world light up the night sky in EU colours
If you happened to be outside in Canberra after dark on the weekend of 9 May, you might have seen some of the capital's landmarks lit up in the colours of the European Union.
In 2020, Europe Day was celebrated online and in the skies with an array of events and activities organised by EU institutions and EU Delegations around the world.
Taking place on 9 May each year, Europe Day is an occasion to celebrate peace and prosperity in Europe. This year marked the 70th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, the founding moment of today's EU.
To commerorate, Canberra's National Carillion and Telstra Tower lit up the night's sky in the EU colours of blue and gold.
New York City’s iconic Empire State Building was lit up in the European colours to mark Europe Day for the 12th year in a row. (Read more)
Photo @jerseyportraits
The EU flag draped the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company building in the United Arab Emirate capital.
In Paraguay, the Palacio de Lopez-Presidencia de la Republica (Presidential Palace) was also illuminated to commemorate 70 years of the Schuman Declaration.
About Europe Day
On the 9th of May 1950, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman presented his historic proposal for an integrated European coal and steel community, indispensable to the maintenance of peaceful relations. This proposal, known as the "Schuman declaration," is considered to be the founding document of what is now the European Union. Each year, the European Union Delegation to Australia hosts a celebration to mark Europe Day.
By establishing the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) on 25 March 1957 in Rome, the EU founding fathers laid the foundations for something greater: an ever closer union that binds together the peoples of Europe in peace, prosperity and solidarity through the four freedoms – the free movement of people, goods services and capital. These treaties brought peace, prosperity and security to millions of people in Europe.
