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"Declaration on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the signature of the Treaties of Rome"For centuries Europe has been an idea, holding out hope of peace and understanding. That hope has been fulfilled. European unification has made peace and prosperity possible. It has brought about a sense of community and overcome differences. Each Member State has helped to unite Europe and to strengthen democracy and the rule of law. Thanks to the yearning for freedom of the peoples of Central and Eastern Europe the unnatural division of Europe is now consigned to the past. European unification shows that...

The leaders hailed 50 years of peace since the Treaty of Rome EU leaders have adopted a declaration calling for some of the reforms proposed in the bloc's ill-fated constitution to be carried out by 2009.The "Berlin Declaration" was issued to mark 50 years of the union, which was founded by the 1957 Treaty of Rome. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the EU needed to move forward and play a greater role in the world. The ceremonies came after a night of revelry in the German capital, with a gala concert and a lavish dinner. In the city,...

Berlin is seen as a symbolic venue for the EU party European Union leaders have joined a gala concert in Berlin celebrating the 50th anniversary of the bloc, which was founded by the 1957 Treaty of Rome.The concert, conducted by Britain's Sir Simon Rattle, will be followed by dinner for the 27 leaders at German President Horst Koehler's residence. Berliners will also join events at city clubs and museums throughout the night. A leader's summit on Sunday will endorse a statement emphasising the EU's achievements and challenges ahead. Chancellor Angela Merkel will use the event to relaunch the debate...

Marie-Helene Von Mach was there Marie-Helene Von Mach remembers the day her father came back from the dead. It was 1954 and he had been gone nine years.A German Wehrmacht officer taken prisoner by the Soviets in occupied Czechoslovakia at the end of the war, he had disappeared into Stalin's Gulag and his family did not know whether he was alive or dead. Then, suddenly, he came home. Over lunch in Brussels last month I told her that, as the BBC's Moscow correspondent, I'd lived in an apartment block built by captured German soldiers, whom Stalin used as slave...

Berlin is seen as a symbolic venue for the EU party European Union leaders are due to meet in the German capital, Berlin, for the 27-nation bloc's 50th birthday party. Chancellor Angela Merkel will use the celebrations to relaunch the debate on the EU's stalled constitution, rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005. A declaration to be issued in Berlin will include a commitment to place the EU on a renewed basis within two years. Correspondents say it will paper over deep divisions among the 27 EU members over the bloc's future direction. "We, the citizens of Europe,...

The Italian prime minister has told the BBC that reviving the European constitution is fundamental to Europe's future survival. Romano Prodi, who was also president of the European Commission from 1999 to 2004, said that Britain had to decide whether to stay in or not. A divided Europe will not survive, Mr Prodi says Mr Prodi, speaking ahead of celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, which established the Common Market, said he was for the constitution. "We have to have it before the European parliament elections of 2009 because we are...

BBC Rome correspondent David Willey covered the signing of the Treaty of Rome as a Reuters trainee. Here he looks back at the Europe of half a century ago.The signing of the treaty took place in the majestic surroundings of Michelangelo's elegant Capitoline Palace situated at the top of one of Rome's seven hills. David Willey: Reuters trainee, and veteran BBC correspondent I was actually there in the huge room frescoed with scenes from ancient Roman battles, when the six frock-coated founders of the Europe of the Six appended their signatures to the Treaty. Crowded into the room were...

22 March 2007 BBC Europe editor Mark Mardell on the contents of the Berlin Declaration to be signed at a summit this weekend, comparisons between the EU and the Roman empire, and two very different visions of the EU's future. The diary is published every Thursday - bookmarking this page will always take you to the latest issue. OUTSTANDING BLANDNESS"In the middle of the very grand room, one of the many grand rooms in the palace, stands a glass case, containing a book of 1,144 pages. In it are both dreams and nightmares, depending who is reading the book."...

!-- E IBYL --> The European Union claims it has secured peace among historical enemies, spread democracy to its neighbours and created a new model of international co-operation. But none of that was pre-ordained. The milestones of the past 50 years tell a story of bitter national rivalries, personality clashes and tortured compromises which have threatened the project's survival more than once and may do so again in the coming years. Churchill saw European unity as a means of breaking the cycle of conflict Winston Churchill, Britain's wartime leader, called postwar Europe "a rubble heap, a charnel-house, a breeding-ground...

Meeting of G9 group of environmental NGOs European Parliament, Wednesday, 26 January 2005 I am very pleased to be here this evening to address representatives of the Green 9 environmental NGOs. They have played an important role in moving forward and communicating the EU environmental agenda. I look forward to working with you over the coming years. I am also grateful to John Bowis for hosting this event. The European Parliament plays a crucial role as co-legislator and advocate of environmental protection and I am committed to working closely with the EP during my mandate. * * Earlier this afternoon,...