Brussels, 08/05/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commissioner Viviane Reding, in opening the European Parliament's academic debate, on the 8 May, organised by the Commission and Parliament for the 50th anniversary of the Schuman declaration of 9 May 1050, asserted that today, we have a new need for "architects and visionaries" in Europe. Also, like Luxembourg, it wanted to recall that Robert Schuman, having spent his youth and adolescence in Luxembourg, experienced, as of his earliest years, tdialogue between cultures. Mrs Reding thanked the European civil servants that came to give personal experiences at this academic debate, as well as the professor from the Jean Monnet Chairs who brought their contribution.
In his speech, Etienne Davignon, former chef de cabinet for Spaak, former policy Director for the Belgian Ministry for Foreign Affairs (the "Davignon committee", which stems from European political co-operation, bears it name) former European Commissioner and presently, President of "Amis de l'Europe", summarise in four words "recognition, fidelity, need for inspiration, generosity" the feeling that today, according to him, the fathers work bring about. Recognition because, at the time where the wound of war where still open, Schuman was able to, "with the help of Monnet", to launch a project that was "fundamentally a revolution" and which, no doubt, was the "most original" idea of the second half of the 20th Century. Fidelity, to this project, according to which "we are moving from the definition of a joint future," only then to adapt "the rhythm of what is achievable." Today, this "need is maybe more important than ever," as the memories of the past have faded, said Mr. Davignon, for whom this fidelity is necessary "not only at the level of the idea, but also at an institutional level." And over the "unprecedented institutional reform" required by the European fathers, in particular he asserted that the European Commission "is not a bureaucratic structure," but the main incarnation of this common future and the inspirational force of the path to follow to reach it", while "the Council's sins against the fidelity of the message are continuous." As for the "need for inspiration," according to Mr. Davignon Europe must ask itself if it wants, in the years to come, to "do the same as previously, but better," or take a " qualitative leap, by introducing "some innovative principals." However, wanted or not, the stake of the next enlargement requires that they be "imaginative, innovative and creative", as the challenge relates to both "the reality of the EU as we know it and the reality of enlargement," feels Mr. Davignon, who also asserts that there will not be "any large European plans without generosity." The European project was launched "by men and women, for men and women", not by people "detached from the blood and nerves of reality," "Europe created itself because a certain number of men wanted to do so," underlined Etienne Davignon. The "fundamental difference", today as opposed to 1950, is that fifty years ago "a dozen men" where able to change the continents future, while today all projects on par with the move into 2000 require a "large accession of those who are influenced by this project" which means that the project must be "generous, ambitious and faithful to what the founders of Europe wanted, since history proves "that they where right."