EU institutions in Brussels to open doors to public to celebrate Europe Day

The European Union (EU) institutions in Brussels will open their doors to the public on Saturday to celebrate the Europe Day of this year.

On May 28, the building of the European Commission, the European Council, the European Parliament in Brussels, and some other EU institutions will arrange building tours, concerts, exhibitions, conferences, tastings, activities for all ages to mark the anniversary of the EU.

Taking the Commission for example, from 10 a.m. local time (0800 GMT), Vice President of the European Commission Maros Sefcovic will welcome the public at the opening ceremony, at the entrance of the office building of Berlaymont, which houses the headquarters of the Commission.

He will then visit and participate, with every one, in the many activities offered at each stand and will end his tour in the Schuman room around the noon to answer citizen's questions on Europe.

Europe Day held on May 9 every year celebrates peace and unity in Europe. And to celebrate Europe Day, the EU institutions normally open their doors to the public in early May in Brussels and Strasbourg.

The date marks the anniversary of the historical "Schuman declaration". At a speech in Paris in 1950, Robert Schuman, then French foreign minister, set out his idea for a new form of political cooperation in Europe, which would make war between Europe's nations unthinkable.

His vision was to create a European institution that would pool and manage coal and steel production. A treaty creating such a body was signed just a year later. Schuman's proposal is considered to be the beginning of what is now the EU. Endit