Nobel Peace Prize for the European Union – 10th Anniversary

Guest blog post by the Council Archives

On 12 October 2012, Thorbjørn Jagland, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, announced the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union:

‘The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2012 is to be awarded to the European Union (EU). The union and its forerunners have for over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe‘. Thorbjørn Jagland, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee

The award ceremony

On 10 December 2012, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso accepted the award from the Norwegian Nobel Committee in a ceremony at Oslo City Hall.

Today, you can step back in time and relive that award ceremony.

Thanks to documents deposited by the Protocol Service and stored in the Council Archives, we know the details of the programme, the laureate speech, the table plan. We even know the songs performed during the ceremony, such as ‘Mattinata’ by R. Leoncavallo and ‘Dein ist mein ganzes Herz’- Das Land des Lächelns by F. Lehár, performed by Norwegian pianist Håvard Gimse and Swedish tenor Daniel Johansson.

The award consists of:

• the Nobel diploma, a calligraphed text in Norwegian and an original artwork created by Norwegian artist Gerd Tinglum in 2012
• the Peace Prize medal, an 18-carat gold piece created by Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland and the Swedish engraver Erik Lindberg
• a financial reward worth SEK 8 million, equivalent to approximately €930 000

The medal

The ‘original’ medal is 18-carat gold, it weighs 196 grams and its diameter is 6.6 centimetres.

On the front of the medal is a portrait in relief of Alfred Nobel, while his name and the years of his birth and death are engraved along the edge.

The reverse shows three naked men embracing as a symbol of international fraternity. The Latin inscription reads ‘Pro pace et fraternitate gentium’, which translates as ‘For the peace and brotherhood of men’.

Around the 5 mm-thick edge are engraved the words Prix Nobel de la Paix, the year and the name of the laureate.

The young European citizens' contest

To mark the occasion, the European institutions and the European Youth Forum organised a contest entitled 'Peace, Europe, Future: What does Peace in Europe mean to you?' for young people from EU member states and candidate countries.

Children aged 8 to 12 submitted their answers in the form of drawings, young people aged 13 to 24 wrote a short text in any of the 23 official EU languages.

The four winners – Ana from Spain (12 years old), Elena from Italy (16 years old), Ilona from Poland (21 years old), and Larkin from Malta (23 years old) – joined the presidents of the European institutions and the heads of state and government as part of the official EU delegation in Oslo.

The EU Children of Peace initiative

The European Commission formally accepted the prize money (SEK 8 million, or approximately EUR 930,000) on behalf of the EU and decided to top it up to EUR 2 million to be allocated to children in need. The prize money funded the EU Children of Peace initiative, four projects that reached out to over 23,000 conflict-affected children worldwide and provided access to basic education and child-friendly spaces.

The EU Children of Peace initiative was inspired by the Nobel Peace Prize, and the European Union has been increasing the initiative’s funding every year since its creation.

‘It was obvious for us that the Nobel Peace Prize money should be allocated to the most vulnerable who are often the hardest hit by wars: the children of this world. We want all children to enjoy the constant protection of their rights. Each and every girl and boy in the world should have the opportunity to develop their talents. Promoting education is also giving peace a chance to be a lasting peace. We want children of war to become children of peace.’ José Manuel Barroso, Former President of the European Commission

‘In situations of conflict children are often the most vulnerable, so it is only right that this award should benefit young victims of armed conflicts. I am glad that this initiative will continue beyond this first year, and hope that ‘EU Children of Peace projects’ can become a symbol of the European Union’s commitment to those in need around the world’. Herman Van Rompuy, Former President of the European Council

‘Children are the most vulnerable victims of conflict. They are our future and it is their personal future which is at stake. Anything we can contribute to help to make them overcome the traumas and suffering endured during conflict is welcome’. Martin Schulz, Former President of the European Parliament

Visit the Council, see the medal in real life

To mark the tenth anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to the European Union, an exhibition showcasing a series of objects and documents linked to the award and the award ceremony is on display in the Council’s Visitors’ Centre for the next few months.

The exhibition was jointly organised by the Council’s Archives Service and Outreach and Engagement Unit.

To visit the Council's Visitors' Centre y​ou need to register in advance. It is open from Monday to Friday between 10:30 to 16:00.

• Request a visit

This post does not necessarily represent the positions, policies, or opinions of the Council of the European Union or the European Council.

The Council Library reading room is open on Monday to Friday from 12.30 to 15.30. The Info Desk operates during office hours from Monday to Friday.