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Europe just got a little closer to Pittsburgh.
Yesterday marked the University Library System's acquisition of a coveted collection of European documents.
The collection, which Pitt won through an open competition, contains collections of documents from the Council of Europe and the European Coal and Steel Community, two European trade associations that resulted in the European Union. Many of the documents date back more than 50 years.
At the ceremony, Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg said the collection of more than 16 million pages "extends our already extensive collection of EU documents" and "solidifies Pitt's international standing."
Representing the European Union at the dedication were John Bruton, the European Commission's ambassador to the United States, and Samuel Zbogar, Slovenia's ambassador to the United States. Slovenia currently holds the European Union presidency.
Prior to the dedication, Bruton and Zbogar spoke to nearly 200 people about current issues faced by the European Union.
Zbogar specifically addressed many of the EU's challenges.
"You have powers moving from west to east and from north to south," he said. "We are very passionate about the EU. We are very passionate about making it stronger."
Slovenia became an independent country in 1991 after the break up of Yugoslavia.
It became a member of the European Union in 2004.
"At that time, we were a problem for the international community," Zbogar said.
He credited the European community for its contribution to his country's peace process.
Zbogar also made a connection between Pittsburghers and Europeans, specifically Slovenians.
"Pittsburgh is an important city for Slovenians in the United States," Zbogar said, because of its immigrant history.
Speaking about the integration that has occurred as a result of the EU, Zbogar said, "There will be no borders. It's like in the United States, once you get in, you can travel about."
He noted that with increased freedom to travel within Europe, security at Europe's outer borders will have to increase.
"The EU represents stability … peace, prosperity and a good standard of living," Zbogar said.
John Bruton, who is also a former prime minister of Ireland, spoke about relations between the European Union and Pennsylvania.
"Pennsylvania exports four times as much to the EU than it does to China," he said. "We are very much invested in one another. What is good for you is good for us."
According to Bruton, 70 percent of all farm investment in Pennsylvania comes from Europe, and European investment in the United States supports about 200,000 jobs.
Bruton, however, said the EU was founded out of political - not economic - interests.
"By making the German economy dependent on the French economy and the French economy dependent on Germany, we could prevent them from physically going to war," he said.
Bruton used his home nation of Ireland as an example of the success of the European Union.
He said that Ireland is not dependent on Great Britain as it had once been, since Ireland has access to a larger economic market.
Bruton echoed Zbogar's assessment about the decreasing importance of borders in Europe. "
The border doesn't matter, the border doesn't exist," he said. He believes that less restrictive borders will allow minorities in European countries greater freedom.
"It allows them to be different without being in conflict," Bruton said.
"The EU is the first voluntary, multi-national democracy in the world," he said.
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