The European Union at 60

The authors are the Ambassadors to China of the European Union and the 28 EU Member States of Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

The signing of the Treaties of Rome in 1957 by Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands marked the very foundation of what has now become the European Union. Today, as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of that ground-breaking agreement, we are proud of our achievements, and of our ability to stand up to challenges, and we confidently look forward to shaping our common future together.

Enlarged over the years to new member states and new areas of cooperation, the European Union is now the place to live, travel, study and work across national borders. It is the place where frequent wars have given way to long-standing peace. Where individual freedoms are guaranteed and the rule of law has replaced the rule of the iron fist. The European Union is one of the world’s most prosperous economies and is the leading foreign investor in most parts of the globe. It is home to the world’s largest single market and second most-used currency. We invest more in development co-operation and humanitarian aid than the rest of the world combined. The Union is also at the cutting edge of innovation and is a global leader on climate change. Europe’s role as a positive global force is more important than ever. The 2012 Nobel Peace Prize testified to wide recognition of our efforts.

But with this anniversary we look forward as well as back. Europe’s challenges are many. The complexity of the European Union is not always easy to explain, and strong public support for the European project is no longer unconditional. Our economy is recovering from the global financial crisis but this is still not felt evenly enough. Unemployment is particularly high among younger generations. The global order, too, is undergoing deep changes. Parts of our neighbourhood are destabilised. Terrorism reminds us that promoting freedom and universal values comes at a price. Refugees and economic migrants seek to reach European shores. And we will soon face the challenge of negotiating the departure of one of our members.

Despite these challenges, the European Union remains an unprecedented and successful example of regional integration. We have to sustain our place in the constantly changing world, reaffirm our values, address the challenges we are facing and deliver on people’s expectations. Europe's success will also require international efforts.

China has always supported European integration and counts among our main strategic partners. EU-China relations date back over 40 years, evolving into a bilateral and global partnership that has gradually extended from trade to global governance and security, as well as extensive people-to-people links. But we need continuously to think about the future and how to make this relationship stronger. With this in mind, we look forward to the many high-level exchanges and dialogues which take place each year, culminating in the annual EU-China summit.

As we write, European leaders are gathering in Rome, determined to make a success of the European Union and to offer to our citizens an attractive vision they can trust and support. Robert Schuman, one of the founding fathers of the European Union famously said: Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan. We are confident that Europe has the will and the capacity to achieve it.

《欧洲联盟60周年》

本文作者是欧洲联盟及28个成员国的驻华大使

1957年，比利时、法国、德国、意大利、卢森堡、荷兰六国签署了《罗马条约》，为今天欧洲联盟的最初建立奠定了基础。今年正值《罗马条约》这一开创性协议签署60周年，我们为过去所取得的成就及我们应对挑战的能力而感到自豪，同时也期待我们携手创造更美好的未来。

欧盟经历了数次扩大，成员国数量不断增加，合作领域更加广泛。今天的欧盟是人们跨国生活、旅行、学习以及工作的理想之地。在这里，曾经频繁的战争已经让位于持久的和平，个人自由得到充分保障，法治取代独裁统治。现在，欧盟是全球最为繁荣的经济体之一，而且是全球大部分国家和地区最大的投资方。同时，欧盟是世界上最大的单一市场，欧元是全球使用率第二高的货币。欧盟在发展合作及人道主义援助领域的投入超过全球其他国家和地区的总和。欧盟引领创新和全球应对气候变化的行动。作为一支积极的全球力量，欧洲的重要性日益凸显。2012年欧盟获得诺贝尔和平奖，代表了国际社会对欧盟努力的广泛认可。

值此六十周年之际，我们回顾历史，也展望未来。当今的欧盟面临众多挑战。欧盟的复杂性有时很难解释清楚，欧盟这个宏伟的项目不再得到公众无条件的大力支持。虽然我们的经济正在从全球金融危机中复苏，但复苏仍然不够均衡；年轻一代尤其遭受着高失业率的困扰；全球秩序正在经历着深刻的变革；部分周边国家局势动荡；恐怖主义提醒着我们弘扬自由和普世价值的代价。大批难民和经济移民试图登陆欧洲海岸；英国脱欧谈判近在眼前。

尽管挑战重重，欧盟仍然是区域一体化空前的成功典范。在这个变化莫测的世界，我们必须坚守立场，重申价值观，应对挑战，不负众望。欧洲的成功需要国际社会的支持。

中国一直是欧洲一体化进程坚定的支持者，是欧盟主要战略合作伙伴之一。中欧友谊经过四十多年的锤炼，已经发展成为双边和全球伙伴关系，涵盖贸易、全球治理、安全、广泛的人文交流等多个领域。但是我们需要不断着眼未来，继续巩固双边关系。所以，我们对每年开展的多个高级别双边交流和对话充满期待，其中的中欧领导人会晤是最大的亮点。

此刻，欧洲领导人齐聚罗马，决心要带领欧盟走向更大的成功，并且提出了欧洲公民可以信赖和支持的伟大愿景。作为欧盟创始人之一，罗伯特·舒曼的话广为人知：欧洲不可能一蹴而就，也不能一味依靠某个单一的计划。我们相信，欧盟有意愿、也有能力实现这一目标。