Most of Europe’s leaders attended the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony in Oslo.
For more than 60 years, the European Union and its predecessors have promoted peace and reconciliation in Europe. This year’s award is clear recognition of the significance of the EU for ensuring lasting stability and security in Europe.
The horrific events of the two World Wars led to a realisation that the countries in Europe needed to stand together. The EU has played a key role in democracy-building in the former dictatorships in southern and eastern Europe, and the enlargement is now extending to countries in the Western Balkans.
Shaping a continent of peace and prosperity
José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, and Herman Van Rompuy, President of
the European Council, said in a joint statement that:
“This Prize is the strongest possible recognition of the deep political motives behind our Union: the unique effort by ever more European states to overcome war and divisions and to jointly shape a continent of peace and prosperity. It is a prize not just for the project and the institutions embodying a common interest, but for the 500 million citizens living in our Union.”
The Norwegian Nobel Committee’s announcement
The Nobel Peace Prize