YEPP approve resolution on European Identity

international | eu | opinion/analysis Monday April 05, 2004 16:39 by International Secretary - Young Fine Gael

Meeting earlier ths year in Dublin, YEPP voted to accept this resolution

Resolution on European Identity

Proposed by YFG (Ireland), Jong-cd&v (Belgium), CDJA (The Netherlands) and KRFU (Norway)

Accepted by the Youth of the European Peoples Party (YEPP) meeting in Dublin

Recognising

• That 40% of all European Union Citizens do not believe that they share in any form of European Identity (Eurobarometer 59 Spring 2003)

Believing

• That while this continues to be the case, the following aspiration of the draft EU constitution can not be considered to be entirely accurate, although we support its sentiment; “Convinced that, while remaining proud of their own national identities and history, the peoples of Europe are determined to transcend their ancient divisions and, united ever more closely, to forge a common identity”.

• That any form of European identity will not in any-way diminish regional or national identities, of which many citizens of Europe are justifiably proud.

Noting

• That culture is the principle component of national identity.

• That under both the Maastricht Treaty and the proposed draft Constitution, culture is a shared competency of the European Union.


• That a good understanding of Europe and the EU can only be developed through education.

Accepting

• That culture is the sum of the total of learned behaviour of a group of people that is generally considered to be the tradition of that people and is transmitted from generation to generation.

This conference believes that the European Union should take a greater and more active role in the promotion and development of a common European culture while at the same time celebrating the national and regional variations and diversity of culture.

In order to achieve this YEPP calls for the following steps to be taken:

• To create a European Theatre, consisting of an unlimited number of companies, whose duty it will be to tour Europe performing and promoting plays of cross-cultural and cross-national European value.

• That a European Museum of Arts and Literature be created.

• That a European Film Institute be created, to finance, develop, promote and support films of pan-European value. Also, the Institute should oversee an awards system, in order to acknowledge the contribution of filmmakers and actors to the European Film Industry.

• That the history of Europe and the development of the European Ideal and EU be taught as part of the education system in each member-state of the EU.

• That the European Union should provide greater financial, logistic and promotional support for the holding of pan-European sporting events at youth, amateur and professional levels.

• That every tenth year an Exhibition of the European Union be held. This will be an event celebrating all aspects of life within the European Union; it will contain exhibitions of the innovations, culture and art of the peoples of the European Union. Furthermore competitions should take place in the fields of Literature, Sports and Arts. We believe this event would help foster and develop common links between the peoples of the European Union and help awaken a European Identity.