'No' Eurovision Song Contest for EU anniversary celebrations

European Commission officials preparing the celebrations across the 25 member states next year to mark the EU's 50th birthday, has met a hitch.

Plans to include the Eurovision Song Contest in the programme of activities had to be scrapped following a strong "no" by the promoters.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which is responsible for the contest, denied reports in the European press that the European Commission was "considering making a link between the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome and the Eurovision Song Contest, to be held in Helsinki in May.

"The EBU strongly refutes the idea that such a link could be possible, since the song contest is an independent television show that cannot convey any political message. In addition, around half the participating national broadcasters are from countries that are not EU member states," the EBU said.

A spokesman for the Commission told The Times that celebrations will focus on the formal adoption of a policy statement by all member states during a special heads of state and of government summit scheduled for May in Berlin during the German presidency.

Rome will also be a focal point of the celebrations because it was in that city that the treaty forming the EU was signed. The spokesman said member states will have their individual programme of activities.

Although the EBU has made it clear that the Eurovision Song Contest is not an option in the Commission's plans, it is still open to discussion on other forms of cooperation.

Bjorn Erichsen, director of the EBU's television department, said that if the Commission wishes to cooperate with the EBU in celebrating the anniversary, the unit will be more than willing to approach its members to produce a specific programme, as was done on May 1, 2004 to mark the EU enlargement from 15 to 25 members.