A "raft of cultural icons" was launched by the European Commission in 1985, in reaction to the report by the ad hoc commission "for a People's Europe" chaired by Pietro Adonnino. The aim was to facilitate European integration by fostering a Pan-European identity among the populations of the EC member states. The European Council adopted "Europe Day" along with the flag of Europe and other items on 29 June 1985, in Milan.[12]
Following the foundation of the European Union in 1993, observance of Europe Day by national and regional authorities increased significantly. Germany in particular has gone beyond celebrating just the day, since 1995 extending the observance to an entire "Europe Week" (Europawoche [de]) centered on 9 May. In Poland, the Schuman Foundation [pl], a Polish organisation advocating European integration established in 1991, first organised its Warsaw Schuman Parade [pl] on Europe Day 1999, at the time advocating the accession of Poland to the EU.
Observance of 9 May as "Europe Day" was reported "across Europe" as of 2008.[13] In 2019, 9 May became an official public holiday in Luxembourg each year, to mark Europe Day.[14] The EU's choice of the date of foundation of the European Coal and Steel Community rather than that of the EU itself established a narrative in which Schuman's speech, concerned with inducing economic growth and cementing peace between France and Germany, is presented as anticipating a "vocation of the European Union to be the main institutional framework" for the much further-reaching European integration of later decades.[15]
The European Constitution would have legally enshrined all the European symbols in the EU treaties; however, the treaty failed to be ratified in 2005, and usage would continue only in the present de facto manner. The Constitution's replacement, the Treaty of Lisbon, contains a declaration by sixteen members supporting the symbols.[16] The European Parliament "formally recognised" Europe Day in October 2008.[17]
Celebrations and commemorations
Open Doors Day
The EU institutions open their doors to the public every year in Brussels and Strasbourg, allowing citizens to visit these places. Moreover, many of these organize commemorative events to honor the historical importance of the date.[18]
The bodies that choose to make this symbolic gesture are:
In 2020 and 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent inability to host physical events, the EU institutions organized virtual acts to pay tribute to all those Europeans who were collaborating in the fight against the pandemic. Furthermore, 2020 marked the 70th anniversary of the Schuman declaration and the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Given the occasion, the above-mentioned EU institutions launched several online events to commemorate the importance of the date.[19][20]
Legal recognition
Europe Day is a public holiday for employees of European Union institutions.[21] In 2019, it was declared a public holiday in Luxembourg,[22] and is also a public holiday in Kosovo.[23] It is a "memorial day" in Croatia, which is a legally-recognised day, but is not a public holiday;[24][25] a legally-recognised commemorative day in Lithuania;[26] and a "flag day" (German: Beflaggungstag) in Germany, where flags are ordered to be shown by federal decree.[27] Europe Day is also celebrated in Romania,[28] where it coincides with the State Independence Day of Romania (Romania's independence day).[29]
^Due to the objection against adopting symbols of statehood, the 1985 adoption of the "European flag" had only been possible by avoiding the official use of the term "flag", so that the "European flag" is still officially "a logo or emblem eligible to be reproduced on rectangular pieces of fabric". (Scicluna, 2014, p. 56)
The proposal to officially adopt it as the flag of the EU was made in the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (2004) which however failed to be ratified. Instead, the Treaty of Lisbon (2007) includes an annex signed by sixteen members which declares that the European flag, anthem, motto, currency, and Europe Day "will for them continue as symbols to express the sense of community of the people in the European Union and their allegiance to it."
^Kubosova, Lucia (9 October 2008). "No prolonged mandate for Barroso, MEPs warn". EU Observer. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
"with the fate of the Lisbon Treaty still unclear, the European Parliament on Wednesday decided to officially recognise EU flag, anthem and motto as the symbols of the bloc's plenary.
The anthem, based on the "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, will be performed at the opening ceremony following each European election and at formal sittings.
The motto, 'United in diversity', will be reproduced on all Parliament's official documents, and the celebration of Europe Day on 9 May will be also formally recognised, says a report approved by 503 votes in favour 96 against and 15 abstentions.
The symbols were first officially referred to by the European Constitution, a document rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005 and replaced by the Lisbon Treaty, which does not mention them."
^Anonymous (16 June 2016). "Europe Day". European Union. Archived from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
^Anonymous (16 June 2016). "Europe Day". European Union. Archived from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
^PRZYBYLSKI, Piotr (14 March 2017). "Europe Day 2020". European Union. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
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