Have your say on the EU at 50
This year the EU is celebrating its 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome with heads of government issuing the Berlin Declaration, a text which will contain the Union's values and ambitions, on March 25th. Over the next few months I would like to read what you think should be in the Declartion and what the EU means to you. Whether it's a single word or 500, let me know what you think, and the best ones will be published.
The BBC has the full text of the declaration here. What do you think? Has it missed anything out?
To contribute email richard@richardcorbett.org.uk
From Glenys Kinnock MEP
Glenys focuses on what she would like the Berlin Declaration to say on the EU's role in international development.
The EU is based on common values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and equality, and the EU shall promote these values through its external policies. The EU will continue to play a key role in the global fight against poverty, injustice, inequality, and human rights abuses.
We will do this through delivering on commitments to achieve the MDGs by spending more on health and education, tackling the scourge of HIV/AIDS and other poverty diseases increasing levels of aid and improving aid effectiveness; ensuring that other policies are coherent with development objectives; and promoting gender equality, economic and trade justice, and sustainable democracy. We will actively seek to prevent violent crises and will play our role in peacekeeping, as well as continuing to act in humanitarian crises. We will reduce the EU's greenhouse gas emissions as a critical step towards tackling climate change. And we will continue to act together to achieve our common aims.
From Una O'Dwyer
Today, we celebrate together 50 years of European achievement. From Community to Union , from six member states in 1956 to twenty seven now, we can be proud of our shared history and look with confidence towards the future.
Since the time of the Romans, efforts to unite Europe have been based on conflicts, domination, suppression even slavery. Our unique project has instead brought peace, freedom, democracy, justice, equality and respect for human dignity to our member states and our peoples. It is a precious, but fragile construction, a beacon of hope and a model for the rest of the world, which we cannot and must not take for granted.
Our citizens look to Europe for security and stability, for prosperity and a good quality of life, for a safe environment and sure supplies of their basic needs - food, shelter, water, energy.
Above and beyond material concerns, Europeans long for friendship, good company, to share common values, to help those less fortunate, to show solidarity, to belong. Our people, young and old, appreciate the opportunities offered by the European Union to learn, to travel, to innovate, to create, to communicate and to share experiences in an open, tolerant society. Our very diversity is welcomed for its contribution to the cultural richness of our joint undertaking.
This Europe of ours, in all its complexity and diversity, is not built without effort. Nor will it prosper and grow without the involvement of all its citizens and their full participation in the project. For Europe is not a distant, souless, bureaucratic organisation but a real and tangible part of our daily lives. The values we share, the very quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink, are maintained by European agreements. We are all involved in endorsing these agreements through the democratic process at local, regional, national and European levels. We jointly share responsibility for them. So, we are also jointly responsible for their success or failure.
There are indeed difficulties on the road to such success. While many difficulties have already been overcome, the new challenges ahead should not be underestimated.
Uncontrolled globalisation could undermine our economic security; terrorism could destroy our freedoms; climate change could threaten our way of life; poorly prepared enlargement could halt or even reverse our progress.
All these challenges need European solutions if they are to be met successfully. To find European solutions, our full commitment to the enterprise is needed.
Let us work together to overcome the challenges by harnessing our creativity, by taking full advantage of our diversity, by developing our sense of community and solidarity, by furthering economic and monetary union, by extending the hand of friendship to our neighbours and partners worldwide, and by developing an effective and just common foreign and security policy.
In this way, we can ensure an area of harmony and hope for our continent, of stability and growth for our economy, a safe haven for our elderly, a source of inspiration for our youth and an opportunity for all in the next 50 years to come.
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