Brussels, 08/05/2008 (Agence Europe) -As part of "Europe Week 2008", supported by the General Council of Moselle, the Robert Schuman Association paid its annual tribute to one of the founding fathers of the European Union. In a speech on Wednesday 7 May at Montigny-les-Metz, Paul Collowald, president of the association, former journalist and former director general of the European institutions, spoke of the heritage of Robert Schuman and of European ambition. From memory, he spoke of the month of May 1948 and the first European Congress of The Hague, which the International European Movement is preparing for the end of this month. In The Hague in 1948, the main thought was putting a stop to "war, fear and poverty". And from this Congress would spring a series of concrete proposals: the idea of a Convention on Human Rights, the College of Europe in Bruges and the Council of Europe. But although war is a long way in the past, can we say the same of fear and poverty? Paul Collowald, who is also known for his commitment to the movement ATD Fourth World, is not really convinced that they are. He went on to stress this, noting that the ambition to "remove poverty" enshrined in the Lisbon Strategy is far from being achieved. (O.J.)