EMU at the crossroads — The relevance of Pierre Werner’s thinking in the 21st century — Conference (Luxembourg, 6 March 2013)
Economic and Monetary Union is currently at a crossroads, and the crisis it is facing will have major consequences both for the future of European integration and for Europe’s role in the world. In a bid to shed new light on the development of Europe’s model of economic and monetary integration, the CVCE is using its research project on the achievements of Pierre Werner to explore the origins and development of the euro as prefigured in the Werner Report and to analyse the Werner Report in the context of the current challenges facing Economic and Monetary Union. This project is based on the CVCE’s thorough exploration of the Pierre Werner family archives, to which it has been granted privileged access. The results of the Centre’s research have been published on the CVCE site in the form a digital research corpus entitled ‘A rereading of the Werner Report of 8 October 1970 in the light of the Pierre Werner family archives’.
In connection with the ‘Pierre Werner and Europe’ research project, the Centre Virtuel de la Connaissance sur l’Europe and the European Merit Foundation organised an event at the Cercle Cité in Luxembourg City on 6 March 2013 entitled ‘EMU at the crossroads. The relevance of Pierre Werner’s thinking in the 21st century’.
At this event, the CVCE officially presented its research corpus entitled ‘A rereading of the Werner Report of 8 October 1970 in the light of the Pierre Werner family archives’. The presentation was followed by lectures given by Jean-Claude Trichet, Honorary Governor of the Banque de France and former President of the European Central Bank, and Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of Luxembourg and outgoing President of the Eurogroup, on the crisis facing Economic and Monetary Union and possible future scenarios. The event was attended by over 300 figures from political, diplomatic and academic circles and from the banking and economic sectors. At the end of the conference, Jean-Claude Trichet was presented with the Collar of European Merit by Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Merit Foundation. Jacques Santer, Honorary Minister of State and Chairman of the Board of the European Merit Foundation, also presented Jean-Claude Trichet with the Diploma of European Merit.