On the occasion of the official inauguration of the House of European History (HEH)&nbsp;in Brussels,&nbsp;Antonio TAJANI, EP President, and Dr Hans-Gert POTTERING, former EP president and HEH initiator, express themselves in front of the press.&nbsp;The HEH, which aims to encourage citizens to reflect upon and debate the history of Europe and of European integration, opens to the public on 6 May.

Brussels

TAJANI, Antonio (EPP, IT)

press conference

House of European History (T)

PÖTTERING, Hans-Gert (EPP, DE)

Opening of the House of European History: extracts from the press conference by Antonio TAJANI, EP President and Hans-Gert PÖTTERING, Former EP President

Exterior view of the House of the European History, (HEH), Brussels, Belgium (1 shot)

SOUNDBITE (English), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, First of all I want to thank Hans Gert P&ouml;ttering, former President of the European Parliament, he is the father of the House of the European History.

SOUNDBITE (English), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, The HEH I think is first of all a message to the European citizen&rsquo;s. I want to reduce as President of the European Parliament the distances between European institutions and European citizens. And to study and to know our history, our 70 years of freedom and peace, I think it is important. And this house of the European citizens is a House open for everybody.

SOUNDBITE (English), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, There are many different messages, there is our history, our heritage, our problems, our disaster too, but the line to take is, we need to debate and to discuss, studying the past for a better future.

SOUNDBITE (English), Hans-Gert P&#214;TTERING, Chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, former EP President , It took 10 years and I was often asked this is a very long time, but if you see the development of history then 10 years pass quickly. And our ambition was to open it in 2014, why 2014, because 100 years ago the First World War started, but then there were a few delays and I&rsquo;m very happy to see Taja Vovk van Gaal, as a director with her team, 25 or 30 people who prepared and installed the objects here in the House of the European History.

SOUNDBITE (English), Hans Gert P&#214;TTERING, Chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, former EP President , The team could work independently and I think this is very important, we as a board did not interfere in the objects, what should be there and what should not, so the team was really independent. And the board and the scientific will continue its work and this afternoon we have the opening.

SOUNDBITE (English), Hans Gert P&#214;TTERING, Chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, former EP President , And my last word is like in personal life in politics and especially in the European Union everything is in danger. And if we don&rsquo;t defend the European Union it might have a very difficult future and development. So this House of European History should tell the people that the visitors that the European Union is based on values and this is most important thing, the dignity of the Human being, freedom, democracy, Human rights, peace and legal order.

SOUNDBITE (English), Hans Gert P&#214;TTERING, You have to know the own history to go into the future, this is the main message of the House of European History, thank you.

Exterior view of the House of the European History, (1 shot)