A day for Europe

In 1964 the Committee of Ministers decided that the Council of Europe’s birthday – May 5 – should be celebrated every year, and Europe Day came into being. The European Union celebrates on May 9, the anniversary of the Declaration by French Foreign Minister Robert Schumann, which set out ideas for a new form of political cooperation that would later develop into the EU. This made May the month of Europe, and for over ten years, the Council has joined forces with the City of Strasbourg and numerous local partners to celebrate, with events such as talks, sports events, exhibitions and Open Days at the Council’s headquarters.

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