To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the EU receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012, the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) held a Jean Monnet House Seminar with Herman VAN ROMPUY, former President of the European Council, Jesus CARMONA NUNEZ, Director for Media of the European Parliament, Asle TOJE, Deputy Leader of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and Stella GHERVAS, Professor of History of the University of Newcastle.

France

seminar

VAN ROMPUY, Herman (BE)

European Union, 2012 Nobel Peace Prize (T)

CARMONA NUNEZ, Jesus (ES)

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the EU receiving the Nobel Peace Prize: EPRS/Jean Monnet House Seminar with Herman VAN ROMPUY, former President of the European Council

Title slate over photo of the EU leaders recieving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 

Exterior of the Jean Monnet House in France

SOUNDBITE (English), Herman VAN ROMPUY, former President of European Council, The highlight of my political career was the handover of the Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union in December 2012. One can dream of many things in public life, but standing there in Oslo, in the city hall, in the presence of almost all 28 European leaders, is unreal.

SOUNDBITE (English), Herman VAN ROMPUY, former President of European Council, And every generation has a duty to ensure peace during its lifetime. Lasting peace. Eternal peace is the sum of the peace work of each generation. Jean Monnet, Robert Schumann have left us that one great legacy. It's our duty to continue that work.

SOUNDBITE (English), Asle TOJE, Deputy Leader of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Jean Monnet, whose House we are currently in, came very close to being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1971.

SOUNDBITE (English), Asle TOJE, Deputy Leader of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, In recent years, as Herman van Rompuy pointed out, the peace argument is sometimes taken for granted by generations who have not experienced anything but peace.

SOUNDBITE (English), Asle TOJE, Deputy Leader of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, The European Union has been able to create an expanding soul of peace that was in 2012 finally recognised by the nomination by the Nobel Committee.

SOUNDBITE (English), Asle TOJE, Deputy Leader of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, The achievement of peace in Europe is not only a benefit for Europe and the Europeans, but it's also a benefit for mankind

SOUNDBITE (English), Stella GHERVAS, Professor of History, Newcastle University, And that measures up towards what Robert Schuman said in 1950: "World Peace cannot be safeguarded without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten it".