On 9 May, Europe Day marks the historic Schuman Declaration, a founding milestone of the European project. Delivered in 1950 by the then French Foreign Minister, Robert Schuman, the declaration laid the foundations for unprecedented cooperation between European countries, based on peace, solidarity and shared prosperity.
More than seven decades later, the European Union stands as an area of stability and development, with tangible impacts on citizens’ lives.
In Portugal, European funds have played a decisive role in modernising the economy, improving skills, strengthening infrastructure and promoting social and territorial cohesion.
In the Lisbon Region, the Lisboa 2030 Regional Programme plays a central role in this process, channelling investment into strategic areas such as innovation and competitiveness, demography and inclusion, and urban development.
Proximity to citizens and territories is one of the distinguishing features of European intervention. Through regional programmes and territorially based instruments, responses can be tailored to local specificities, endogenous resources can be enhanced and solutions can be brought closer to communities, thereby strengthening the link between European policies and citizens’ concrete needs.
In a global context marked by multiple crises and threats — from economic and energy challenges to geopolitical and climate-related issues — the European Union has sought to ensure a coordinated and solidarity-based response. This dimension is also given practical expression at territorial level through investments that strengthen regional resilience, promote sustainability, support climate change adaptation and contribute to a fairer and more balanced transition.
At the same time, investment in national and regional competitiveness remains a priority, with particular emphasis on enhancing endogenous assets. In the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Region, scientific knowledge, the innovation ecosystem, the business fabric, institutional networks and territorial resources provide an essential foundation for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
On this Europe Day, the commitment to a shared path is reaffirmed — one built on cooperation, trust and the ambition for a more cohesive, competitive Europe that is closer to its citizens, where European funds translate the tangible value of Europe into action on the ground.
Today, this commitment takes on particular significance with the opening of the representation of the Oeste e Vale do Tejo NUTS II region in Brussels. More than a new institutional presence, it represents an affirmation of proximity, influence and active participation in the European project, strengthening the region’s capacity to follow priorities, build partnerships and promote its territories at European level.
In a context of crises and uncertainty, it is reaffirmed that Europe’s strength lies in cohesion, solidarity and unity among States, regions and citizens — as was envisaged from the very beginning.
We wish everyone a Europe Day filled with meaning, unity and confidence in the future.
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