ALDA, in cooperation with European Federalist Movement – Vicenza and the local organisation InsiemEuropa, organises the event “From the Treaty of Rome to the European Citizenship”, taking place at Vicenza City Hall.
The event, organised with the patronage of the Municipality of Vicenza and Veneto Region, wants to celebrate the 56th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, on the 25th March 1957, instituting the European Economic Community and the EURATOM, and launching the European integration’s proces
The main goal of the events is to raise awareness on the European integration process, till nowadays. In particular, great importance will be given to the theme of citizenship, through the presence during the conference of Ms Costanza Margiotta, Professor at the University of Padua.
ALDA Director, Mrs Antonella Valmorbida, will open the conference, presenting the initiative and the commitment of the Association of Local Democracy Agencies in the promotion of the European integration and in the spread of European values. Also the mayor of Vicenza, Mr Achille Variati, will be one of the speakers of the conference.
The conference foresees also a public debate, in order to exchange opinions and ideas, related to European integration.
To the conference all municipalities of the Province of Vicenza, several local authorities of Veneto Region, the new elected Parliamentarian from the province of Vicenza, representatives of the Veneto Region’s Council, the representatives of trade organisations.
The event will be organised in the framework of the initiatives promoted by the Italian Alliance of the European Year of Citizens 2013.
ALDA Director among the speakers of the Conference “From the Treaty of Rome to the European Citizenship”
The Conference “From the Treaty of Rome to the European Citizenship” was held in the “Sala Stucchi” of Vicenza City-Hall. The event, which obtained the patronage of Veneto Region and of Vicenza Municipality, was organised thanks to the collaboration between ALDA, European Federalist Movement – Vicenza, and the Association InsiemEuropa, and it was one of the initiatives, promoted in the framework of the Italian Alliance for the European Year of Citizens.
To the event, two Regional Council Members, Mr Stefano Fracasso and Mr Giuseppe Berlato Sella, the mayor of Torri di Quartesolo Mr Diego Marchioro, the mayor of Lonigo Mr Giuseppe Boschetto, some delegates of the Municipality of Vicenza, and several representatives of local CSOs participated to the initiative.
The event began with the presence of the Mayor of Vicenza, Mr Achille Variati, who affirmed that the Treaty of Rome launched the European integration, and that we have witnessed to the passage from an “Economic Europe” to a “Europe of Citizenship”, in view of the creation of the United States of Europe.
Besides he stressed that nowadays young people are European, hence the institutions have to believe in Europe. Today the problem is that governments and Member States continue to keep much power and the return to nation-state is a mistake.
Finally he affirmed that the concept of citizenship implies the dialogue, the inclusion and the future: that is why politics and political parties have to reflect and talk about that.
ALDA Director, Mrs Antonella Valmorbida, stated that it is a great error do not debate the issue of the European citizenship, a project that has not been consolidated in Europe yet: if the European integration and the creation of the European Union has been a success, the obstacle is institutional, namely there is a citizenship, but there is not a federation.
Besides, another problem affects the lack of European identity: as ALDA Director argued “When we talk about European identity, we want to base the notion on the EU, whereas the concept is more wide-spreading. How can we exclude the Balkans from Europe? Indeed, the citizenship is related to an institutional level, but the identity concerns other levels”
As the matter of fact, Mrs Valmorbida dwells that since the end of the IIWW we have created the European identity, as a common destiny, the same Weltanschaung. In particular, the European have never approached to continental diversity as a problem: Europe is the area of respect and protection of human rights. Therefore the dimensions of equity, of social-welfare, of mobility, of communication and knowledge of foreign languages is typically European.
Today, at institutional level we do not have a democratic process: indeed we urge a democratisation of the EU Institutions, in particular the role of European Parliament needs to be reinforced and the European Commission should be reformed. As everyone can notice, the EU is a laboratory, which has successfully subdued states’ competencies.
Finally, ALDA Director mentioned the Chart of European Identity: society and education systems should launch a path, in order to put into effect the “Union in the diversity”, as Mr Jacques Delors wished for.
In the last part of the conference there was a public debate, where the attendees insisted on the necessity of promoting the common European identity, creating a common path, on the example of the process of national identity building.