Posted on 30 October 2020
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Werner Report, a series of events were organized from 6 to 9 October in Luxembourg and online by the Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (C²DH) at the University of Luxembourg, in cooperation with the Pierre Werner Chair Programme on Monetary Union (RSC, EUI) and with the support of the HAEU.
The series of events aimed at analysing the role of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) via an interdisciplinary approach and based on archival research. A dedicated website was developed to explain the historical significance of the Werner Report and its role in the development of EMU, while also highlighting the personality, approach and political achievements of Pierre Werner.
The HAEU collaborated as partner in the photo exhibition “The early days of Economic and Monetary Union. Pierre Werner, a pragmatic visionary”, which was organized by the University of Luxembourg (C²DH) and Europe Direct Information Centre-EDIC, the Pierre Werner Family Archives, and the Fondation du Mérite Européen. The exhibition was inaugurated on 6 October with a speech of Jacques Santer, former Prime Minister of Luxembourg and former President of the European Commission.
The main event followed on 7 October 2020 at the University of Luxembourg with a two-day international conference “The Werner Report, 50 Years On. Economic and Monetary Union in Uncertain Times: Learning from the Past to Navigate the Future”. The conference was opened in the presence of HRH Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg with a speech by Pierre Gramegna, Luxembourg’s Minister of Finance. Lectures and debates on different aspects of EMU were held in hybrid format, in-person and online, followed by an online workshop on “A Dynamic Economic and Monetary Union”, organized in cooperation with the European University Institute, as well as an online research seminar on digital currencies and the future of money. Moreover, a Bridge Forum Dialogue video-conference brought together leaders of EU institutions, including Christine Lagarde (President of the European Central Bank), Valdis Dombrovskis (Executive Vice-President of the European Commission), Paschal Donohoe (President of the Eurogroup, Chairperson of the ESM Board of Governors), Klaus Regling (Managing Director of the European Stability Mechanism), and Werner Hoyer (President of the European Investment Bank).
Visit the website dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Werner Report.