The flag of the European Union will be projected on Thursday at 21:00hrs on the facade of the House of Parliament in Bucharest.

The Romanian Parliament thus joins other well-known institutions and architectural landmarks in over 60 cities in Europe that mark Europe Day and, at the same time, the countdown to the European Parliament election to be held on June 9, according to the Chamber of Deputies.

Europe Day, celebrated every year on May 9, marks the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration which was presented in 1950. This founding document of the European Union laid the groundwork for cooperation, solidarity, and peace in Europe.

On May 9, 1950, in what became known as the Schuman Declaration, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman announced the creation of a European Coal and Steel Community placed under the control of a common High Authority.

On April 18, 1951, the Treaty of Paris was signed, establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) between Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

The idea of marking Europe Day was introduced by the Council of Europe in 1964. The European Communities took the decision in 1985 to establish this day on May 9.

This large project was joined over time by 22 other European countries: Ireland, the UK and Denmark (1973), Greece (1981), Spain and Portugal (1986), Sweden, Austria and Finland (1995), Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland and Hungary (2004), Bulgaria and Romania (2007) and Croatia (2013), which led to the creation of a huge single market. On January 31,2020, the UK left the European Union.

AGERPRES