Posted on 11 September 2013
The Italian Award Ceremony for the European Citizen’s award, which is conferred every year by the European Parliament, will be held Friday 20 September 2013 at 16.00 at the Historical Archives of the European Union at Villa Salviati, Florence.
The European Citizen's Prize was launched by the European Parliament in 2008 and is awarded to individual citizens or groups for their outstanding activities in strengthening European integration and cross-border dialogue. The winners of the Prize will be awarded with a Medal of Honour during the official ceremony which will be held for the first time in the prestigious administrative seat of the European University Institute.
For nearly thirty years the Historical Archives of the European Union has the mission of preserving the historical memory of Europe and to make accessible to researchers a place of study, of reflection and exchange of ideas through the historical papers of the founders, the visionaries, the militants and the high officials who worked for an united Europe of citizens.
The various archival collections held in the Archives bear witness to the fundamental right of the European citizen to access to information and illustrate the transparency of the EU institutions which was sought by its founders and representatives.
Some of the documents present in the Archives, are the expression of various projects concerned with the development of European citizen’s rights such the European Economic Community (1957) which promoted the free movement of workers and goods within the six founding members and the introduction of direct elections to the European Parliament (1979). These rights in 2000 were merged into the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
To participate at the ceremony it is necessary to register by email: [email protected] before 17 September 2013.