Since 2003, on the third Saturday of May, Ukraine celebrates Europe Day in accordance with Presidential Decree № 339/2003 of April 19, 2003. The main goal of this holiday is to demonstrate the desire for rapprochement with the countries of the European Union in connection with Ukraine’s plans to join the EU.
In general, Europe Day is celebrated by the European Union on May 9, and the Schumann Declaration is considered the starting point on the way to establishing this holiday.
On May 9, 1950, in Paris, French Foreign Minister Robert Schumann called on France, Germany and other European countries to combine their coal and steel industries ( the basics of building up military equipment ) and give them to manage the new supranational structure. It has become the « cornerstone of the European Federation.
Thanks to the unification of economic efforts and the distribution of the results achieved, European countries avoided the accumulation of military power against each other, which ensured peace in Europe.
The holiday itself in Ukraine was conceived as a day when the inhabitants of the country should celebrate the day of common values, the common history of all the nations of the continent. According to the tradition of recent years, various educational and concert events have been dedicated to this holiday.
In April 2022, a bill was registered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, according to which the celebration of Europe Day in the country is recommended to be postponed until May 9 to celebrate it simultaneously with the states of the European Union.