Show all/Hide all

3.1. What are the values of the EU ?

These were made explicit for the first time, in a form intended to be exhaustive, in the Constitutional Treaty, signed in 2004 by the 25 member countries of the European Union (EU).  This was approved by the European Parliament in 2005 by 500 votes to 137, with 40 abstentions.  The intial articles are consecrated to the issue.

The values are: human dignity, freedom, democracy, egality, a state founded on law and respect for human rights.  These are assumed to characterise societies where the following prevail: pluralism, absence of discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between men and women.

3.2. What are the objectives of the EU?

The first objective, which reflects, moreover, the historic origin of the EU, is peace and the well being of all the different peoples of Europe.

To get to that point, the EU offers its citizens a living space where there is freedom, security and justice. The economy will be based on the free circulation of persons, services, property and capital (Article I-4) in an internal market, where competition is open and not falsified. The EU will oversee the assurance of the well-being of its various peoples by the construction of an economy which combines social protection and a high degree of competivity, which will tend toward full employment and social progress, whilst at the same time protecting the environment.  The description « high degree of competitivity » was questioned by France at the European summit in June 2007 in Brussels.

The EU promotes technological and scientific progress and it respects cultural and linguistic diversity while seeking to preserve the cultural heritage of Europe.

Finally, the EU promotes, in its relations with the rest of the world, the same objectives that it pursues for its own citizens, in addition to promoting the principles of stable, long-term development of the planet,  solidarity, mutual respect, fair trade, the respect for human rights, especially those of the child, as well as the United Nations Charter.

The second chapter of the Treaty presented the complete text of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and European Citizenship, but the Brussels 2007 European summit proposed to relegate this Charter to an appendix.

For the complete text of the Institutional Treaty see:
eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do
europa.eu/scadplus/constitution/index_fr.htm

3.3. What are the European symbols?

These symbols are gradually receiving recognition  due to the efforts of organisations promoting a more unified Europe.  The Constitutional Treaty brought these together for the first time and added a motto.  They are the flag, the anthem, the Day for Europe, the euro and the motto.

3.4. The flag

The flag of the EU consists of 12 golden stars on a blue background. Their arrangement in a circle symbolises the union and the equality of its members.  The flag was adopted on 26 May 1986.

3.5. The European anthem

The anthem is taken from the Ode to Joy, part of  the last movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Nineth Symphony.  There are no official words to the anthem.

Sound of the anthem Ode to Joy : www.lvbeethoven.com/Oeuvres/Music-EuropeanAnthem-OdeToJoy.html

3.6. The euro

The European currency, the euro, which was adopted by a number of countries starting in 1999, is considered a symbol of Europe. It is inspired by the Greek letter epsilon.   The two parallel lines which cross the E represent stability.

3.7. The Day for Europe

The construction of the modern Europe is considered to have begun with the speech by
Robert Schuman*,  at that time the French minister of Foreign Affairs,  in the clock room of the Quai d’Orsay – which gave its name to the speech – on 9 May 1950.  He announced the creation of a European community of Coal and Steel according to the principles proposed by  Jean Monnet*.   The speech earned Robert Schuman the vehement contempt of certain French members of parliament, due to his conciliatory attitude toward Germany.

The 9th of May is considered the Day for Europe.  It is observed by certain European institutions and, in an irregular fashion, by the people of Europe.

3.8. The European slogan

The Constitutional Treaty also proposed a european motto: « Unity in diversity ».  This reflects particularly the cultural diversity which is a factor in the richness of Europe's cultural heritage ( see Chapter 6) .

3.9. Other Symbols

In contrast to other major world organisations the EU does not have an animal or plant as a symbol.  For the animal symbol we suggest Sitta europea, a small peaceful bird, frequently seen in gardens throughout the European Union.  The fact that it uses only its claws to  grip the tree trunk and does not rely on its tail for support means that it can go down a tree trunk as well as up, thus demonstrating a great capacity for flexibility.


 

Furthermore, “Sitta” is a word of Greek origin, which brings us back to the source of the European civilisation.

And if the European nuthatch succeeds in matching the multilingual competences of her Canadian cousin, her reputation in European circles will readily be settled.

We welcome suggestions for the plant symbol.

http://www.oiseaux.net/oiseaux/passeriformes/sittelle.torchepot.html

 

and (in German only) :

http://www.uebersetzerportal.de/nachrichten/2007/2007-03-21.html

3.10. What is the status of these values and symbols?

Their status will be determined by the fate of the Constitutional Treaty.  The heads of state gathered at the European Summit of June 2007 in Brussels proposed to remove the symbols from the text of the Treaty.  This will be submitted for ratification by the member states of the European Union.