9 mei Europa dag: viering van Europa in veel steden en provincies (en)
Brussels, 7 May 2009
Saturday 9 May is the Festival of Europe. To celebrate this event, the Committee of the Regions (CoR) and its president, Luc Van den Brande, are opening the Jacques Delors building, the CoR's premises in Brussels, to the public. But that is not all: celebrations are being held in European regions and cities too, which will be decked out in European colours for the occasion.
In Brussels the cities and regions of Europe offer you a warm welcome.
Luc Van den Brande, CoR president, and 50 or so European regions and cities will welcome you to the Committee of the Regions on this Saturday 9 May.
You will discover the delights of European regions with activities for young and old, and will be able to taste typical regional dishes. A few weeks before the European Parliament elections (4-7 June), this day will also be an opportunity to illustrate the European Union's impact on our regions, cities and daily lives through images.
For the list of the 55 regions and cities in 14 European countries which will be hosting the event, and to find out more about the four themed villages bringing them together, click here.
The Committee of the Regions will be open to visitors on Saturday 9 May from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Jacques Delors building, 99-101 Rue Belliard, 1040 Brussels.
On your doorstep, regions and cities are open to Europe.
The Festival of Europe is first and foremost the opportunity to bring the 450 million European citizens together at the same event. Whatever their size, Europe's regions and cities are joining forces and making this celebration their own, to make Europe more real to the citizens.
"It is useful and interesting to visit the European institutions, but at the same time it should be pointed out that Europe is more than just two square kilometres in Brussels! Europe is first and foremost the energy and enthusiasm of its people, and of all European regions, cities and municipalities. It is through listening to them that Europe draws its strength, feeds it creativity and builds its future." - Luc Van den Brande, CoR president.
Thus, a European village will be set up for the whole week in Toulouse (France), concerts and cross-border walks will be organised in Upper Austria and the results of a schools art competition on the theme of Europe will be displayed in Santiago de Campostela (Spain).
You can find out about all the events taking place in European regions and cities by consulting the Europe Direct events calendar or contacting the European Commission Representation Office in your country.
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The Committee of the Regions will be open to visitors on Saturday 9 May from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Jacques Delors building, 99-101 Rue Belliard, 1040 Brussels.
Four villages, four themes for Europe in 2009
Village 1: European elections - it's your choice: a month before the European elections, regions and cities are demonstrating the importance of these elections for people's everyday lives and for local democracy. Click here for more information on the elections, including video messages from your local and regional representatives.
Village 2: Creativity and innovation - What's new in my city/region?: 2009 is also the European year of Creativity and Innovation - European regions will be displaying creative initiatives developed with support from the EU. Click here for more information on the CoR's activities in the area of innovation in regions, and its 100 talents initiative.
Village 3: Anniversary village: the regions and cities will be illustrating and celebrating three major anniversaries in 2009: 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall; 10 years since the introduction of the euro and five years since the accession of 10 new Member States.
Village 4: Local initiatives - What has Europe done for my region? - This village demonstrates Europe's zealous initiatives at local and regional level, showing that regions and cities are partners in European integration.
55 regions and cities represented on 9 May at the Committee of the Regions:
Austria: Land Kärnten, Land Niederösterreich
Belgium: Brussels-Europe Liaison Office, Brussels Region, Flanders
Cyprus: European Office of Cyprus
Croatia: Regions of Croatia
Spain: Andalusia, Castile-La Mancha, Extremadura, Galicia, Madrid, Valencia
France: Bas-Rhin Alsace, Brittany, Nord/Pas de Calais
Hungary: Észak-Alföld Region, West Panonia - Northern Hungary - Budapest
Italy: Abruzzi, Friuli Venezia Giulia - Cordenons "Territorio e MAGRAID 2009", Apulia
Netherlands: House of Dutch Provinces
Poland: City of Lódz, City of Torun, Cuiavia-Pomerania Region, Lódz Region, Lublin Region, Lubusz Region, Lesser Poland Region, Mazovia Region, Opole Region, Podlasie Region, Pomerania, Silesia, Warmia-Masuria Region, West Pomerania
Czech Republic: Liberec Region, Olomouc Region, Southern Moravia Region, Vysocina Region, Zlín Region
Romania: Cluj County Council, Consiliul Judetean - Prahova Pahova County Council, Gorj County Council, Hunedoara County, Maramures Region, Mures County Council, Vrancea County,
Slovakia: Bratislava Region, Košice Region, Nitra Region, Trencín Region, Žilina Region
Sweden: North Sweden
France/Italy: Alps-Mediterranean Euroregion
For more information consult the official 2009 Open Day site: http://europa.eu/festivalofeurope/index_en.htm
Visit the CoR's website: www.cor.europa.eu
The Committee of the Regions
Around two-thirds of EU legislation is implemented by local and regional authorities in the Member States. The Committee of the Regions was created in 1994 to give representatives of local government a say over the content of these laws. The CoR organises five plenary sessions a year, where its 344 members vote on opinions issued in response to proposed legislation. The European Commission, which initiates EU laws, and the Council of Ministers, which determines the final content of the legislation (usually in tandem with the European Parliament), are obliged to consult the CoR on a wide range of policy areas including the environment, employment and transport. The Lisbon Treaty will strengthen the position of the Committee of the Regions further. In future, the Committee must be consulted by the European Parliament on all issues that are important for regions and municipalities. The Committee can also appeal to the EU Court of Justice if its rights are infringed or it believes that an EU law violates the subsidiarity principle or fails to respect regional or local powers.
For more information, please contact:
Chris Jones
Tel. + 32 (0)2 546 8751
christopher.jones@cor.europa.eu
To read previous press releases, click here