CvdR-President Valcárel: Blij met Nobelvredesprijs voor de EU (en)

"It is a true pleasure to hear today that the European Union has been awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize. The prize acknowledges the significant impact that the European project has had on promoting peace and democracy not just across Europe, but across the globe. We must remember that the founding principles of the European Union are based on freedom, combating social exclusion, promoting social justice, respecting human dignity, fostering social cohesion and respecting human rights.

These basic principles are as important today as they were 60 years ago and have grown to become part of the European consciousness found at every level of society. These guiding principles that were originally born from conflict now flourish and form the foundations of our collected thought. Yet it is humbling to have these principles, these European values, recognised. They are values that connect thousands of local and regional authorities, values that contribute to a common path towards furthering economic, social and territorial cohesion.

Above all else, this award places an even bigger responsibility on the European institutions. It is our duty to keep working together to defuse conflicts among States and continents, to encourage cross-border cooperation between regions, cities and local communities within and outside the EU i. It is also our duty to continue to strive towards promoting peace and democracy, upholding up the rule of law at every level of government. It is the European way to promote peace and development. A way made possible by the participation of millions of citizens, by the intense cooperation of hundreds of local and regional democratically-elected representatives, building every day new bridges between people, economies and cultures. Today Europeans can be proud of being part of a political project that represents a point of reference for those who are building peace all over the world".