21st of September is internationally recognised as the European Cooperation Day. It celebrates Territorial Cooperation within the European Union and between the European Union States and its neighbours – a celebration of all the benefits Territorial Cooperation brings to the populations all over these vast territories. Especially in the current crisis which has had significant detrimental repercussions on all levels- economic, social, political and cultural, the cooperation between member states appears to be paramount.
Furthermore, history has made us witness that only through active cooperation on European level could peace be restored on the Continent and of course among the neighbouring states outside the continent. A prime case in point is the main incentive of the European project evolving initially from the need to bring peace in the continent through the effective cooperation between post war Germany and France. To that purpose, one of the main architect’s objective, namely Jean Monnet’s, was the creation of an ‘Ever Closer Union’.
Decades later, in the recent State of Union address dated 12 September 2012 President Barroso called for such cooperation between European Union member states with the main justification being that : “In the age of globalization pooled sovereignty means more power, not less”. The latter explicitly means that only through effective cooperation on domestic and foreign policy between the EU member states, could the Continent possibly find a durable solution to the economic crisis.
However the latter suggests that in order for that to happen in the 21st century in times of such turbulence and uncertainty, European Cooperation should be applied and effectively practiced on day to day basis. Accordingly, the role of NGOs in bringing awareness about the pivotal importance of such cooperation is unequivocally more than instrumental.
CESIE is strongly committed to the topic of European cooperation in its projects by bringing together the resources and talents of many people for the shared benefit of all. It has a 10-year dedication to the idea of the promotion of active involvement of people, increasing the value of cooperation on regional, national and international level and celebrating diversity by promoting the individual heritage and beliefs. We strongly believe that only through active cooperation with other Member States it will make us live in a more cohesive and integrated society.
In such a rapidly changing world in which the forces of globalization are sweeping, the need for active European cooperation on day to day basis becomes more than essential if only we wish to come closer to Jean Monnet’s ideal of “ Ever Closer Union”. So why don’t we take an active part and attempt to contribute even on personal level to the accomplishment of that far- reaching goal!
