On the top of Europe

On 9 May, Europe Day, 50 mountain guides have set off carrying 50 European flags to the summits of 50 mountains in the Alps and the highest peaks in Italy. The flag-raising ceremonies have taken place simultaneously at midday on 9 May.

The "Happy Birthday EU" event is an idea of the Lombardy mountain guides association ("Guide Alpine della Lombardia") and is supported by the European Commission. The event has been organised by people living in the Alps, a region that has witnessed war, turmoil and conflict in the past, but that now symbolises the peace achieved through 50 years of European unity.

On 18 April, Commission Vice-President Franco Frattini presented the Lombardy mountain guides with the 50 flags to be unfurled at the summits of the Alps and Italy’s mountains on 9 May, Europe Day. Mr. Frattini attended the ceremony by video-conference from the Commission building in Brussels.

These are just some of the highest peaks:

In France: the Dome de Neige des Ecrins in the Alpes du Dauphiné, 4015 m; Grand Flambeaux, 3556 m and the Aiguille d'Argentiere, 3901 m, both of which form part of the Graian Alps;

In Austria: Gross Venediger, 3674 m and Gross Glockner, 3798 m are both in the Hohe Tauern; and

Straddling France and Italy, Mont Blanc, 4808 m.

In Italy, they include the Gran Paradiso, 4061 m; the Resegone, 1874 m; the Adamello, 1581 m; the Marmolada di Rocca, 3342 m. Others include Mount Etna, 3323 m, Vesuvius, 1281 m, and Monte Vettore, 2476 m, in the Apennines.

Source: EUROPA