The 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome

Image from Financial Review

 Author: Stefania Guzzo 

On 25 March 2017, the EU Member States have celebrated the 60th Anniversary of  Rome Treaties, the international agreement that brought to the creation of the European Economic Community that represented the starting point of the European integration process. In the frame of Rome, the “eternal city”, the 27 national leaders recalled the stages of an adventure undertaken by the six pioneering countries when on 25 March 1957, the representatives of Belgium, West Germany, Italy, Netherland, France and Luxembourg signed the Treaties of Rome also known as the Treaties of the European Community (TEC): the EEC (European Economic Community) and the EAEC (the European Atomic Energy Community, also known as Euratom).

"Today, we celebrate the perseverance and the cleverness of EU's founding fathers, which has its best proof in this crowded hall"- Italian prime minister Paolo Gentiloni  said in his opening speech in the very place where the Treaty of Rome was signed 60 years ago. In his speech, Gentiloni also recalled the several achievements of the European integration project, while acknowledging that EU has found itself unprepared and responded late before major recent challenges such as migration, economic crisis, and unemployment among others.

"We don't want a divided Europe!" - Gentiloni said - "Europe is united and indivisible, but we want to move forward on a common idea of Europe in areas such as defence, security. We need greater integration and we claim a global role for Europe".

The event  marks the foundations of our Europe. The celebration intends to remind to the citizens the main aim of the founding fathers: to bring peace and development in Europe after the second world war. 
The declaration of Robert Shuman - "Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan. It will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity” – represents this aim.

Many steps further has been made by the EU Member States after the foundation of the European Community: the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989),

Share  your opinion by posting your comments on our blog BeReady4EU!

Europe HOpes invites you to share your thoughts on the current EU debates by simply posting comments on our blog BeReady4EU.

Europe HOpes supports youth EU citizens involvement on the European debates and wants to hear what you have to say regarding the latests events that marked Europe in 2016, as well as the challenges that the EU will face in the coming year.

EHO - Europe HOpes

The Bridge between the EU and its citizens!

The day that all Europe is looking for the polls results.

4th December 2016

Today Europe is waiting impatiently for the pools results in Italy and Austria. With the tremendus rise of far-right parties in several EU members states, and just weeks after Trump's astonish victory in the USA, Europe's biggest ally, the fear of the beginning of a new era for Europe is imminente. If far-rights parties win tonight, it seems a new challenge for the EU. A new one to add to a long list of challenges that the EU must face it in the coming year.

Italy is now helding a constitutional referendum. Indeed, leaving the EU is not in question here, though depending on today's polls result, Italy can express a strong sweeping trend. "If "yes" vote wins, impressive reforms on the constitutional will succeed. The changes include an impressive reduction of power of the senate, as well as a new regulation allowing the regional lawmakers to choose the senators who serve. If the Italian Prime minister Matteo Renzi do not succeed in convincing the population of Italy by winning the "yes" vote, then an unprecedent event can happen in Italy. Italy is one of the initial 6 countries that formed in the 50's what today is the European Union and during the years the eurosceptic parties came and go. Yet, the victore of the "no" vote can encourage an increase of populism in Italy which has been leading by both a radical populist group Five Star Movement, as well as the far-right group Northern League. All Europe is watching these referendum uneasy.

In the meantime, in Austria, citizens are going to vote for the Presidential elections. The country seemed divided on the recent polls projections showing a very close election result between the liberal Alexander Van der Bellen and the far-right leader Norbert Hofer. And EU citizens are watching closely this elections. If the Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) leading by Norbert Hofer wins today, Europe can have the first EU far-right leader since World World II. This Presidential Candidate has expressed many controversial opinions on several sensitive issue for the EU. He said that would call for a national referendum on the EU, depending on the coming Brexit developments. In addition, he is a strong supporter of anti-immigrant and anti-refugees measures.

For now, the EU citizens can only wait for the polls results of these two member states that will be known soon, wishing the best for the future of Europe. But even if the results will not reveal the victory of far-right parties in Austria and Italy, the threat of the rise of populism in Europe is clearly real.

Share your opinion by posting your comments on BeReadyEU!

Europe HOpes supports youth EU citizens involvement on all European debates. Our association wants to hear what you have to say regarding the most current EU debates that affects all of us.

In a moment of tremendous changes in Europe and with new challenges arising, Europe HOpes believes that it's time to promote the dialogue and discussion of EU issues at the European level by starting to listen what you have to say on these matters.

By simply posting comments on our blog, give us your opinion on the most recent events that marked 2016: Martin Schulz is leaving Brussels, the impact of Brexit on the EU project, how Trump's administration will shape the EU-US relation, the increase of the rise of far-right in Europe, the urgent need of a EU security and defence cooperation, the position of the EU on the refugee flux, the role of the EU as a key member on foreign affairs, the economic changes requested in Europe, or the new european envirnoment ambitions drawned. How do all these issues have been seen by the young EU citizens?

If you are acquainted with the most relevant EU debates and feel inspired to share your opinion on the new European path for 2017 with us, please feel welcome to post your comments on BeReady4EU blog.

One month, two countries and dozens of young EU citizens...

October was a great month for Europe HOpes! As a European young association born from the desire to live fully Europe, that aims to bring the EU citizens closer to Europe and its debates, Europe HOpes was very proud for its involvement and participation in two Europeans events.

Catania, the Italian city where Europe HOpes' project was born two years ago, welcomed on the first week of October 60 younsters coming from four different Europeans countries with its cooperation on the project MEDEUYM. Europe HOpes had the pleasure to cooperate and participate on this amazing international seminar granted within KA3 of the Erasmus Programme.

Just one week later, Europe HOpes travelled to Murcia, Spain, taking three young Italians citizens to participate in the training course "Step out of your mind". This projet for youth workers from Spain, Italy, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania; and developped by the spanish association PRIORISE, was granted within the Erasmus+ (KA1).

Cooperation and Partnership are key words for Europe HOpes. Our association is always looking for projects to join synergies with others organizatins; as well as, willing to welcome young citizens passionate about EU debates to its activities.

You can have a peek on these events and Europe HOpes participations on our social media channels. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

As a EU citizen, Give us your Opinion on the U.S. Elections 2016!

The U.S. Presidential elections came to an end and the Republican Donald Trump is the next resident of the White House. A stunning victory for a candidate seen by so many as an unlikely person to win the U.S. Commander-in-chief job position. But, what does it really mean for the EU-U.S. relation?

Being a major actor on the EU project since the beginning, historically, the U.S.A. has been the EU major ally and supporter. And even some say that history has shown us that the EU had had better relations and deals with Democrats Presidents than with Republican ones, nevertheless, in the pass the leaders of the most powerful nation in the world always had good relationship with the EU. But this can change, now!

For the first time in History, an American President, back then as a Presidential Candidate, expressed an unusual opinion on the EU by saying publicly that a EU member-state would be better withdrawing from the EU, as Trump controversially expressed on Brexit yearly this year. Will this unlikely position from an U.S. President shake the good relationship between the EU and U.S. that we are use to?

In the near future how will EU leaders deal with a President that while campaigning for the Presidency expressed so many grotesque remarks in highly offensive speech tone, totally against to the EU values? The EU stands for values that we haven't seen or heard from Trump so far. Will the new job position ease up the next U.S. President's tone on issues that are so valuable for Europeans?

If you are acquainted with the EU-U.S. relation and feel inspired to share with us your opinion as a EU citizen, please feel welcome to give us your comments on this blog. 

Europe HOpes!

Different, Dreamers, the Young Europeans.

Personally, since I came back Italy after one year spent in Bruxelles, I didn't imagine I could taken the European Union to my city of origin.

This extraodinary event has happened during these days, thanks to the willing of our friends Associazione Ente Unione, IFALL, ZISPB, PTP Roman to which we gave our support to realize the project "M.E.D.E.U.Y.M.: Making Empowerment Drawing an European Youth Model", funded by the Agenzia Nazionale Giovani under the Erasmus Plus program.

Indeed this experience has been the mirror of the highest level debates at the European institutions with all the annexes advantages and risks.