FINLAND: EU's top official Herman Van Rompuy says he is proud the union is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

Record ID: 702401

  • Title: FINLAND: EU's top official Herman Van Rompuy says he is proud the union is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
  • Date: 13th October 2012
  • Summary: HELSINKI, FINLAND (OCTOBER 12, 2012) (REUTERS) PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL HERMAN VAN ROMPUY AND FINNISH PRIME MINISTER JYRKI KATAINEN ARRIVING TO NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERA OPERATOR (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL HERMAN VAN ROMPUY SAYING: "The main issue is that the European Union is rewarded, rewarded for its decades-long work on peace and security." PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL HERMAN VAN ROMPUY SAYING: "It was a day, and it still is a day of joy, of happiness and I'm still very proud and how we will receive the prize that's for later on. When I come back to Brussels I will take contact with my very good colleague of the European Union Parliament and the European Commission and we'll see how to arrange all this and who is invited. But again, it is not the main issue today." JOURNALIST LOOKING AT LAPTOP MONITOR (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL HERMAN VAN ROMPUY SAYING: "At a special summit in November, I will ask European leaders to agree the future multiannual financial framework for the European Union. Even if this represents only about one per cent of European GDP it does amount to around one trillion over seven years which can have huge impact on growth and jobs. It enables investment with a Europe-wide growth potential which otherwise would simply not be possible. The budget needs to take off January 1, 2014 but months of preparation will still be required to set all the pieces." JOURNALIST TYPING NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 28th October 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Finland
  • Country: Finland
  • Topics: International Relations,European Union,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAAMEXMB18LJ4QQ7HA3VVU63KG8
  • Story Text: The European Union's top official Herman Van Rompuy said on Friday (October 12) he was proud the Nobel Peace Prize had been awarded to the European Union.
    The EU won the prize for promoting peace, democracy and human rights over six decades in an award seen as a morale boost as the bloc struggles to resolve its economic crisis.
    The award served as a reminder that the EU had largely brought peace to a continent which tore itself apart in two world wars in which tens of millions died.
    "The main issue is that the European Union is rewarded, rewarded for its decades-long work on peace and security," van Rompuy told a news conference during a visit to Helsinki.
    He said he did not yet know who would represent the EU at the award ceremony in Oslo on December 10.
    "It was a day, and it still is a day of joy, of happiness and I'm still very proud and how we will receive the prize that's for later on. When I come back to Brussels I will take contact with my very good colleague of the European Union Parliament and the European Commission and we'll see how to arrange all this and who is invited. But again, it is not the main issue today," he said.
    Van Rompuy is currently touring the EU capitals to prepare for a European Council meeting next week.
    Discussions have focused on key issues such as the situation in the euro zone area, the development of the European Monetary Union (EMU) and the EU's multiannual financial framework for 2014-2020.
    "At a special summit in November, I will ask European leaders to agree the future multiannual financial framework for the European Union. Even if this represents only about one per cent of European GDP it does amount to around one trillion over seven years which can have huge impact on growth and jobs. It enables investment with a Europe-wide growth potential which otherwise would simply not be possible. The budget needs to take off January 1, 2014 but months of preparation will still be required to set all the pieces," he said.
    The prize will be presented at a royal ceremony in the Norwegian capital on Monday, December 10.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register