On 9 May every year EU member states celebrate Europe Day. It's a day of reflection on the cooperation, prosperity and peace that has come about since the 'European project' commenced. This year is especially significant for Ireland as it coincides with the 50th anniversary of the referendum that endorsed our entry into the European Economic Community (10 May 1972), the organisation that became the European Union.
The Houses of the Oireachtas celebrates Europe Day every year through events, TV programmes and EU-related publications. This year the Europe Day theme is youth engagement as it is the European Year of Youth.
Timelines
Ireland and the EU
Our EU journey has seen many significant milestones since 1972 and continues to evolve and mature.
watch
Ceann Comhairle
(2 mins) Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl shares his thoughts on the importance of being active members of the European Union.
youth
Young people talk to Members
Three young people from Comhairle na nÓg spoke to members of the Committee on European Union Affairs as part of Europe Day and European Year of Youth 2022.
Watch
Oireachtas TV | 50 Years of EU Membership
(17 mins) Former Irish Ambassador to the EU Rory Montgomery reflects on the economic and social dimensions to Ireland's membership of the EU over the last 50 years. Flor discusses this further with Dr. Mary C. Murphy from UCC and journalist, Shona Murray.
What do we think about Europe?
The European Commission Representation in Ireland has published the 2022 Eurobarometer Report for Ireland.
The report focuses on Irish citizens’ attitudes towards the EU in Ireland. It examines the level of trust in the European institutions and the future direction of the EU, and assesses how Irish people view the economic situation; their satisfaction with how democracy works in Ireland and in the EU; their trust in the media; and overall satisfaction with measures taken to fight the pandemic.
- 88% of Irish citizens are optimistic about the future of the EU, the highest across the EU27.
- 71% of Irish citizens have a positive image of the EU, the highest in the EU, and significantly above the EU27 average of 44%.
- 71% of Irish people think Ireland is going in the right direction, an increase from 64% in 2021.
- 62% think the EU is going in the right direction.
proposals
Conference on the Future of Europe
The Conference on the Future of Europe has concluded its work and, after months of intense deliberations, has put forward a report containing 49 proposals to the three European institutions. The conference involved a bottom-up exercise where all European citizens had a say on what they expect from the EU and how to shape the future of the Union.
In the display case
Seanad debate
EEC membership, 14 July 1966
“If the Government fail to pursue this aim as thoroughly and as efficiently as we think is desirable, we will be pressing them from behind…It will do no harm to our position in Brussels and in this country if it is seen that this House is concerned about this matter.”
Dáil debate
EEC membership, 21 March 1972
“Surely it is self-evident that if we were to remain outside the Community we would be conferring on the Border the status of a frontier, both economic and political, between ourselves and the rest of Europe.”
Further reading
Learn more about the EU institutions, Ireland's relationship with the EU and the 50th anniversary of Ireland's referendum to join the EU in 1972.