MEPs approved plans for "European Heritage Label" to mark sites with "a symbolic European value" that "have played a key role in the history and/or the building of EU". The "labels" will be decided by a special EU committee with an annual budget of £783,000 over six years. British taxpayers will contribute almost £640,000 at a time of deep national spending cuts, including to Britain's military. The plaques, to be designed by an open competition next year, aim "to strengthen European citizens' sense of belonging to the EU". Despite the fact that the Brussels-based EU institutions do not mark the Belgian bank holiday of Armistice Day on November 11, to avoid offending German sensibilities, Commission officials have confirmed that the "heritage labels" will be used on war memorial sites. "Places of remembrance clearly have their place in European history, not only as memorials to those who lost their lives but also as places where visitors can reflect on how and why Europe has successfully avoided major conflicts for more than 65 years," said an EU official. "They might also think, or learn, about the contribution of the EU to peace and stability." Paul Nuttall, a Ukip MEP, accused the EU of wanting to impose its view of history on war sites such as the Menin Gate, which marks the 55,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers who died in the First World War fighting of the Ypres Salient but who have no known graves. "As we come up to Remembrance Sunday it is outrageous to think that the EU might try and hijack the Menin Gate when in fact it commemorates the British and Commonwealth soldiers who died to protect our independence from Europe," he said. "They are terrified that they do not own people's memory or history and are prepared to spend millions of pounds of our money to generate a new one." Officials have also suggested that Sir Edward Heath, the former Conservative Prime Minister who took Britain into the European Community in 1971, could be commemorated along with Robert Schuman, the Frenchman who was one of the EU's "founding fathers". "Imagine what a (European Heritage Label would do for a site like Hadrian's Wall or for Ted Heath's house – and the many small businesses, from youth hostels to hotels, that would benefit from increased tourism in the areas," said an official. Syed Kamall, a Conservative MEP, said: "The UK is right to indicate its disinterest in this vain attempt to force a common European identity. If the EU insists on going ahead with this unnecessary idea, it should be at no additional cost to the British taxpayer."EU accused of 'hijacking' Remembrance Sunday
The EU has been accused of trying to "hijack" Remembrance Sunday with a
£4.7 million plan to put euro-branded commemorative plaques marking
"European integration" on war cemeteries and memorials.
Nation honours war dead
Friday, 12 November 2010
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