The 2012 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the European Union (EU) "for over six decades [having] contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe" by a unanimous decision of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
The medal and the certificate exposed at the European Commission
Helmut Kohl, who together with François Mitterrand is regarded as the main architect of the Maastricht Treaty that established the European Union in 1993, said the award was "a wise and far-sighted decision" that "is above all a confirmation for the European peace project."
Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway said the EU has secured peace and built democracy.
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. The Union has a total area of 4,233,255 km2 (1,634,469 sq mi) and an estimated total population of over 448 million. The EU has often been described as a sui generis political entity combining the characteristics of both a federation and a confederation.
Treaty of Paris (1951), establishing the ECSC
Signing ceremony of the Treaty of Rome (1957), establishing the ECC
Gerald Ford and the American delegation at the CSCE (1975)
Maastricht Treaty (1992), establishing the EU
