17/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - By once again rallying around their “own strategic culture, Europeans will help recreate the climate of international solidarity that was felt after 11 September 2001”, and this is in the best interests of everyone, “first of all the Americans”. If the European Union is able to take this new opportunity, the ceremonies planned for 25 March to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Treaty of Rome “would be not only a commemoration, but could drive forward political Europe and its institutions, and break it out of the deadlock on the Constitutional Treaty”. So says Pietro Calamia, Italy's former Permanent representative to the EU, in an article entitled The European Union and International Policy, published in the autumn edition of the quarterly magazine Affari Esteri. Ambassador Calamia, quoting Roberto Duci (in I Capintesta, published in 1982), who chaired the Treaty of Rome editing committee, noted that, at the time, the signing of the treaties attracted little attention. Indeed, it was planned that the foreign ministers would sign the treaties, although ultimately “Adenauer decided to take part, as did Segni, but not the heads of government of France, Belgium or Holland” (Bech of Luxemburg occupied the dual function of Prime Minister and foreign minister). On 25 March 1957, “we had met on the Piazza del Calpidoglio (…) opposite a handful curious onlookers”, wrote Ambassador Ducci. Today, Pietro Calamia points out the progress made since then, despite the current constitutional crisis, and mentions in particular the Maastricht Treaty, the treaty which, “apart from the single currency, set the European Union ambitions foreign policy, security and defence targets”. (mg)