European Union To Receive Nobel Peace Prize On Dec. 10
The Nobel Peace Prize for 2012 will be presented in Oslo on 10 December recognising EU’s role in advancing stability and reconciliation in Europe.
EU Council president Herman Van Rompuy, Commission president José Manuel Barroso and European Parliament president Martin Schulz will be receiving the prize on behalf of Europe’s 500 million citizens.
They will be joined by Ana Vicente, 12, from Spain, Elena Garbujo, 16, from Italy, Ilona Zielkowska, 21, from Poland and Larkin Zahra, 23, from Malta – the winners of an online drawing and writing contest on what peace in Europe means to young people.
The Nobel prize committee said the award to the EU was for 6 decades of work in advancing the causes of peace, reconciliation, democracy and human rights.
President Barroso said the Nobel award is a sign we should cherish the EU for the good of Europeans and for the good of the world.
“The award by the Nobel Committee shows that in these difficult times the European Union remains a force of inspiration for countries and people all over the world and that our global community needs a strong European Union,” he said.
The EU is dedicating the Nobel prize money to humanitarian projects for children who are victims of war and conflicts (matching it, to make a joint sum of €2 million).
“The Nobel Peace Prize stands for reconciliation throughout the world. The prize money should benefit the first hope for the future, but also the first victims of present and past conflicts – children,” president Barroso said.