50th anniversary celebrations focus on youth 

The youth summit will be held in March 2007 to coincide with the European Council in Berlin. The idea is that young people across Europe will have the opportunity to discuss Europe’s future not only among themselves but also with the Council itself by means of a live transmission.  There will be:

• An event linking schools from all over Europe that will allow children to communicate with one another;
• a ‘Spring Day in Europe’ which will strive to raise awareness of Europe’s achievements, and;
• a project bringing 50 citizens born in each of the years to give their views on the European project.

Commission Vice-President Margot Wallström said: “I hope that the anniversary events will make people think: 'What kind of Europe do I want for tomorrow?'.”

Alejo Vidal Quadras, vice-president of the European Parliament for Information and Communication policy, added: “It is essential that the EU Institutions and member states seize the opportunity presented by the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome to intensify the debate on the future of Europe.”

The EU is still in a period of reflection, following the rejection of the Constitutional Treaty by French and Dutch voters in 2005.