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Printer-friendly version Send by email Published 09 May 2006,
updated 21 March 2011  Debates about European identity have
intensified in the context of EU enlargement and the Union's
Constitutional and Lisbon Treaties. Although the motto "unity in
diversity" is generally seen as best describing the aims of the
EU, opinions differ widely as to how it should be understood. 
Display on single page   The point of departure of most
discussions on European identity is the idea that a political
community needs a common set of values and references to ensure
its coherence, to guide its actions and to endow these with
legitimacy and meaning.   With the fall of Communism in Eastern
Europe in 1989, and the founding of the 'European Union' with
1992's Maastricht Treaty - which gave the European Communities
new and stronger competences in a wide range of areas (such
as foreign affairs, security and