Enlarging the European Union in 2004 by 10 new countries presents a new challenge both to the citizens of the present EU-15 and those of the future member states. "Discovering Europe" wants to make these challenges visible and raise the citizens' awareness for a common Europe of 25, by bringing them closer to the new member states, by reducing fear and prejudice and by promoting the diversity of European culture(s) as a driving force for the Future of Europe.

The following activities will be organised till November 2004 in the current and in the 10 new member states of the European Union:

Creation of a mobile exhibition with an accompanying booklet: 20 panels with the "profiles" of the 10 new member states (with key dates on their economy and culture), a presentation of the "Platform Culture Central Europe" as well as information on the enlarged Union and the European constitutional debate. The exhibition is sent on tour in cooperation with local partners (JEF and UEF sections, local IPE and EIC).

Starting point was the exhibition "Mittel.Punkte" on October 13, 2003. Young people from Austria and the new member states as well as citizens of Vienna participated at an inauguration ceremony and cultural event. The mobile exhibition is since then spreading to all corners of today's Union until it reaches the final event in Vienna on the 15th anniversary of the end of the iron curtain and the fall of the Berlin wall as a symbol of Europe without borders.

Local activities will take place at the 44 locations (EU-15), where the exhibition is shown. Milestones of our "tour" will be larger events on occasion of the respective EU-Presidencies and major activities of our partners with a high number of participants.

Additional information stalls and events will be organised in all 25 members of the new Union on occasion of Europe Day 2004. The main focus of these activities will be on the enlargement that will have just taken place and the European elections in June 2004, at which all citizens of the new Union of 25 are eligible to vote.

The www.eu25.org website was specially created for the project and is advertised through links from the official websites of the partners and the distribution of 200.000 free cards.

Ambassador Emil Brix introduced the exhibition discovering Europe

[Quick Time (5.8MB), MPEG (12.3MB) or windows media format (8.9MB)]