Mérite Européen

Fondation du Mérite Européen
Legal form:	Non-profit foundation
Purpose:	Preservation of the idea of ​​European unification, activities in the field of European organization
Chair:	Jacques Santer (President) Simone Beissel (L), Gerhard van den Berge (NL), Ursula Braun-Moser (D), ( Vice President )
Consist:	since 1969
Founder:	François Visine
Seat:	Luxembourg
Website:	www.merite-europeen.eu/

François Visine (left) and Jacques Santer (right)

The Fondation du Mérite Européen , Luxembourg , is a foundation to strengthen the universal values ​​that Europe stands for.

history

The foundation was established on February 8, 1969 by François Visine (* 1922–1995), a leading French NATO official, at the headquarters of the Parisian association Club de l'ABC de l'Europe . As a result, the club was dissolved and the seat was relocated in 1970 as an association under Luxembourg law (asbl) with no intention of making a profit.

Since the 1970s, the Luxembourg Prime Ministers Gaston Thorn , Pierre Werner , Jacques Santer and Jean-Claude Juncker have played a formative role in the foundation.

In the first few years, publications on Europe were primarily published.

Since autumn 1989 the foundation has been recognized as a non-profit organization based on a grand ducal resolution.

In 1990 a project for a European constitution was supported.

As a further consequence of the commitment to a common Europe, honoring deserving personalities and organizations became increasingly important and a new focus of the foundation. The publication of writings was largely stopped. In the beginning, distinctive personalities from politics, representatives and organs of the EU as well as journalists were honored. Subsequently, outstanding people from humanism, science, culture, literature and art as well as people from universities, schools, associations and clubs who are particularly committed to promoting the European idea.

Motto: Vouloir l'Europe - Connaître sesproblemémes - Agir pour sa réalisation

Purpose, goals and motto

According to the foundation statutes , the foundation aims to promote activities that contribute to creating a European awareness step by step, which is necessary for a really existing European Union with humanistic features.

To this end, the foundation awards various Mérite Européen awards to people and organizations that act according to the foundation's motto and whose voluntary work represents a commitment that goes beyond the normal range. The awards also serve to highlight special contributions to the promotion of the European idea and exceptional European commitment.

The motto of the foundation is: Yes to Europe - recognize its problems - work on its realization ( French : Vouloir l'Europe - Connaître sesproblemémes - Agir pour sa réalisation , short: VOULOIR - CONNAITRE - AGIR . Engl . : Wanting Europe, knowing its problems, acting to achieve it ).

Field of activity

The foundation's statutes provide for different areas of activity for the foundation:

• Awarding of awards for outstanding activities in connection with European integration ;
• Promoting school teaching and knowledge about Europe;
• Conducting and organizing events on European issues;
• Publications;
• Other related to the promotion of the European idea.

Awards

The Mérite Européen ( Merits to Europe ) award is not primarily aimed at high-ranking European personalities, but also at citizens who have made a contribution to bilateral understanding in Europe of their own accord and without (expected) consideration.

The awards are generally presented in a dignified ceremony. So far, over 1000 European citizens have received this prestigious award , including 145 Germans and around 70 people from Austria .

Many countries have their own awards to honor their citizens for their European commitment, but only the awards of the “Fondation du Mérite Européen” are recognized in the sense of a European Order of Merit on a European basis.

First award of the Grand Collier on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Mérite Européen

Medal du Mérite Européen

Certificates of honor and distinction

Certificates of honor and distinction are used to honor merits in the work for the unification of Europe.

Medal du Mérite Européen

With the award of medals (gold, silver and bronze) to citizens from countries of the European Union, the foundation recognizes achievements and engagements within the framework of a united Europe and for the promotion of understanding. The medals are awarded each year to a limited number of people who have contributed significantly to the Foundation's goals.

The Merits to Europe medal has a diameter of 62 mm and weighs 110 g. It is issued in gold and silver and bronze .

Grand Collier Mérite Européen

Collier du Mérite Européen

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the foundation in 2010, two further awards were created, the Grand Collier du Mérite Européen (large chain of orders) and the Collier du Mérite Européen (neck medal).

Grand Collier du Mérite Européen

The “Grand Collier du Mérite Européen” was created as the highest award. The great chain of orders only exists as a single copy. This award was first given in 2010 to the Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg , who accepted it on behalf of the citizens of Luxembourg. In addition, the Presidents of the European Council , the Commission of the European Community and the European Parliament , as well as the then Prime Minister of Luxembourg Jean-Claude Juncker were awarded the “Grand Collier” for their services to Europe.

Collier du Mérite Européen

The Collier du Mérite Européen (Neck Order) is awarded only once a year to leading personalities who have implemented the foundation's motto in an exemplary manner. The medal was first bestowed on the 40th anniversary of the foundation (2010) - and exceptionally to four people: Jerzy Buzek , Herman Van Rompuy , José Manuel Barroso and Jean-Claude Juncker. In 2012 Jean-Claude Trichet received an award.

Association of Medalists

The Fondation du Mérite Européen intends to set up an association of medalists in 2015 in order to use their knowledge and existing know-how to further promote and advance the European idea.

organization

Seat

The foundation is a Luxembourg-based non-profit organization in the legal form of a foundation (Fondation du Mérite Européen).

logo

The organization's logo shows a “half” Mérite Européen medal with a part of the map of Europe on the left. This is followed by a vertical division line and on the right in capital letters “MÉRITE EUROPÉEN” (upper half: MÉRITE and lower half: EUROPÉEN ).

organs

Honorary President

Since March 18, 1983, its Honorary President (Président d'Honneur) has been the incumbent Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg .

Board of Directors

The administrative board consists of a maximum of 20 members from different EU member states . The term of office is not limited.

The President of the Board of Directors and a member of the Executive Board is Jacques Santer , former Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy, former President of the European Commission and Minister of State (Ministre d'État).

Ursula Braun-Moser (Vice President), Barbara Söhngen , Ingeborg Smith and Adolf T. Schneider from Germany are members of the Board of Directors of the Luxembourg Foundation.

Board

In 1977 the foundation's statutes were revised and, in order to make the management of the business more efficient, a board of directors was established, which consists of several members of the administrative board. The board has executive tasks and prepares the resolutions of the board of directors.

The board of directors is made up of the president of the board of directors and the executive board members.

Cooperations

The importance and the role of the Luxembourg foundation are to be expanded in order to meet the current challenges in Europe . It should u. a. Universities are involved and events are carried out in order to bring the European idea closer to younger citizens in the European Community in particular.

To this end, the Foundation recently entered into a partnership with the Documentation Center for European Studies, the Center Virtuel de la Connaissance sur l'Europe (CVCE) in Luxembourg and signed a cooperation agreement with the University of Luxembourg .

The foundation also works closely with the institutions of the European Union , in particular the European Commission in Luxembourg.

Selection of recipients of the awards

people

Ferran Adrià , Maximilian Aichern , Fernández Albor , José María Aznar , José Manuel Barroso , Hans Georg Becker , Kurt Bodewig , Ursula Braun-Moser , Elmar Brok , Erhard Busek , Jerzy Buzek , Chu Teh-Chun , Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz , Carles Coll , Eberhard Diepgen , Herbert Ehrbar , Markus Ferber , Benita Ferrero-Waldner , Wilfried Födisch , Norman Foster , Fernand Franck , Hans-Dietrich Genscher , Martin Gray , Gerald Grusser , Kai-Uwe von Hassel , Klaus Hänsch , Colette Hartwich , Edward Heath , Paul Helminger , Josef Höchtl , Roy Jenkins , Jean-Claude Juncker , Kurt Jungwirth , Jürgen Kämpgen , Egon Kapellari , Franz Karasek , Waltraud Klasnic , Franz König , Vytautas Landsbergis , Christoph Leitl , Christine Lieberknecht , René van der Linden , Franz Majcen , Geert Mak , Jean-Marie Mantz , Wilfried Martens , Josep Maria Matorell , Philippe Maystadt , Tadeusz Mazowiecki , Alois Mock , Peter-Christian Müller-Graff , Henri (Luxembourg) , Alfons Nossol , Patrick Nothomb , Willibald Pahr , Alojz Peterle , Hans-Gert Pöttering , Avi Primor , Josef Pühringer , Viviane Reding , Michel Rocard , Herman Van Rompuy , Norbert Roth , Rudi Sailer , Jacques Santer , Heinz Schwarz , Franz Schausberger , Adolf T. Schneider , Horst Seefeld , Berendina van Sminia , Alfred Steinherr , Rita Süssmuth , Gaston Thorn , Gilbert Trausch , Jean-Claude Trichet , Donald Tusk , Brain Unwin , Marcel van de Voorde , Simone Veil , Santi Vila i Vicente , Liane Vissers van´t Hof , Gijs de Vries , das The Warichet couple, Edmund Wellenstein , Pierre Werner , Barthold C. Witte, Gao Xingjian .

Organizations

Santiago de Compostela and Strasbourg as well as the European Federalist Movement (Landesverband Steiermark ), European Youth Gleisdorf ( Gleisdorf ), European Association of Self-Employed Germany (ESD), European City of Görlitz / Zgorzelec and the German War Graves Commission , Karl-Brunner-Europahaus in Markt ( Forchtenstein Castle , Styria) .

Mérite Européen Friends and Supporters Germany eV

The Luxembourg foundation is supported in Germany by the “Mérite Européen Freundes und Förderkreis Deutschland eV”, which was established in 1995 by the former Bundestag President Kai-Uwe von Hassel . The German Mérite Européen Freundes und Förderkreis based in Sankt Augustin near Bonn is a non-profit association accredited by the Bundestag , which is particularly concerned with spreading the European idea and honoring people and organizations in the sense of the foundation in the German-speaking EU states and cares for the neighboring countries. The association is part of the Mérite Européen Foundation.

structure

• President: Christoph Konrad , MEP 1994–2009, Berlin
• Honorary President: Ursula Braun-Moser , MEP 1984–1994, Bad Vilbel
• Secretary General: Ingeborg Smith, Sankt Augustin

Vice Presidents:

• Peter Schmidhuber , member of the European Commission a. D., Munich
• Adolf T. Schneider , Vallendar
• Barbara Söhngen, MA, Andernach
• Peter Spary , also ME treasurer, Bonn and Berlin
• Diemut Theato , MEP 1987-1999, Neckargemünd
• Axel Voss , MEP, lawyer , Bonn and Brussels

Other members of the Presidium:

• Wolfgang Gebel, Bammental
• Ivo Holzinger , Memmingen
• Christiane Pape, secondary school teacher i. R., Dortmund
• Markus Stephani, lawyer, Heidelberg

Co-opted members:

• Alexander Bojanowsky, Bonn
• Markus Russ, Brussels

See also

• List of members of the European Movement Germany

literature

• Mérite Européen: Mérite Européen Foundation , Luxembourg 2014, self-published by the Foundation.
• André Heiderscheid, Adolf Kanter (eds.): François Visine: bene meritus de Europa , Bonn / Luxemburg 1992, special edition Pontes-Verlag, ISBN 978-3-920061-24-5 .

Web links

Commons : Mérite Européen  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Official website of the foundation (English)
• Mérite Européen Friends and Supporters Germany eV
• List of people and institutions honored in Germany and Austria

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Xavier Bettel in the Mérite Européen Foundation , foreword, p. 2.
2. ^ Mérite Européen Foundation , “The Founder François Visine ”, p. 8.
3. ^ Mérite Européen Foundation , History of the Foundation, p. 3.
4. ↑ See as an overview: Anton Schäfer , draft constitution for the foundation of a European Union , Dornbirn 2005, Edition Europa Verlag.
5. ^ Mérite Européen Foundation , History of the Foundation, p. 3.
6. ^ Motto , website Mérite Européen.
7. ^ Mérite Européen Foundation , History of the Foundation, p. 3.
8. ^ Current list of Austrian organizations on the website of the European Federalist Movement in Austria, State of Styria .
9. ↑ Mérite Européen Foundation , 2010 - a year of great innovations and new developments, p. 4.
10. ↑ MÉRITE EUROPÉEN - The medal. Archived from the original on December 12, 2012 ; Retrieved December 5, 2014 .  and Mérite Européen Foundation , 2010 - a year of great innovations and new developments, p. 3.
11. ↑ Mérite Européen Foundation , 2010 - a year of great innovations and new developments, p. 3.
12. ↑ Most of the selection from: Mérite Européen Foundation , p. 6.
13. ↑ Mérite Européen Foundation , 2010 - a year of great innovations and new developments, pp. 4 and 6.
14. ↑ Mérite Européen Foundation , 2010 - a year of great innovations and new developments, p. 4.
15. ↑ At the address: Résidence Europe, 80, Boulevard de La Pétrusse, 2320 Luxembourg.
16. ^ Mérite Européen Foundation , “History of the Foundation”, p. 3 and “The Organization of the Foundation”, p. 8.
17. ↑ Mérite Européen Foundation , “The Organization of the Foundation”, p. 8.
18. ↑ Mérite Européen Foundation , “The Organization of the Foundation”, p. 8.
19. ↑ Mérite Européen Foundation , “The Organization of the Foundation”, p. 8.
20. ↑ The cooperation agreement was signed on June 7, 2013.
21. ↑ Signed September 18, 2014.
22. ↑ Most of the selection from: Mérite Européen Foundation , pp. 5, 10–14.
23. ^ From: Mérite Européen Foundation , p. 5.
24. ↑ Contact address: Mérite Européen Freundes und Förderkreis Deutschland eV, General Secretariat, Weimarstrasse 21, D-53757 Sankt Augustin.
25. ↑ Board meriteeuropeen Friends and Sponsors Germany eV Archived from the original on October 11, 2013 ; Retrieved December 5, 2014 .