Appropriately enough, this supplement appears on Europe Day, the EU's birthday. The EU traces its origins to a speech made by Robert Schuman, the then French Foreign Minister, on May 9th, 1950. In it, he proposed that France, Germany and other European countries should pool their coal and steel industries, the sinews of war. In this way, they would become so integrated that war between them would become unimaginable. Almost 50 years of unbroken peace have fulfilled this expectation.
Europe Day festivities take place all over the Union. Here there are a number of events supported by the European Commission, and by the European Movement, both in Dublin and in its regional branches.
Europe Day was extended to Europe Week this year, for the usual Europe Day Concert took place on Thursday May 7th, when the European Parliament Office in Ireland presented a Concert in St Ann's Church, Dawson Street, in association with the Siemens Nixdorf Feis Ceoil. Besides an invited audience, the concert was as usual open to the general public.
The Treaties
1951: Treaty of Paris establishes the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)
1957: Treaties of Rome establish the European Economic Community (EEC, or Common Market) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM)
1965: Merger Treaty merges institutions of the ECSC, EEC and EURATOM (now the EC)
1986: Single European Act brings in European political co-operation (on foreign policy and the political aspects of security), and provides for majority voting to ensure completion of single market by 1992
1992: Treaty of Maastricht about Treaty on European Union (TEU, establishes Common Foreign and Security Policy, brings in co-operation in justice and internal affairs)