Comment

The Schuman Declaration holds a special significance for the European Union, for the movements working for European unity and for that reason for the European Movement (Malta). As part of this year's activities being organised, sponsored or supported by the European Movement (Malta) to mark Europe Day we thought we would also prepare this special 'Our Europe' column, which carries a message by our movement's president, Pat Cox, and a declaration approved by the executive committee.

The European Movement (Malta) founded in 1965, a year after Malta gained independence from the UK and in the same year that Malta joined the Council of Europe, has been celebrating Europe Day since that time. Initially, Europe Day was the Council of Europe Day, i.e. May 5, when that august organisation, which the European Movement itself had given birth to, had come to life in 1949.

Later, with the growth and expansion of the EU, and the official recognition throughout Europe of May 9 as Europe Day, the European Movement (Malta) started commemorating it on that day.

Europe Day is for us a day of celebration and a time for reflection on where to go from here. For us the past is interesting because it shows certain pitfalls, which we must do our best to avoid. But the future is extremely more interesting.

Our reflections on this Europe Day, as evidenced by the content of this week's Our Europe - which has been published fortnightly and uninterruptedly since January 1998 - focus on the future of Europe and how Malta is performing in the EU.

Readers and members of the public who are interested in knowing more about the European Movement (Malta) are urged to browse our Website at www.euro-movement.org.mt