scale economies and stimulated efficiency and competition, with positive effects on employment and welfare. the eec subsequently evolved into the eu, becoming an area where member states cooperate on a wide set of policies and citizens enjoy freedom and peace. in 1999 we introduced the euro, and even during the crisis we accomplished a lot in terms of deepening the union. and yet, this anniversary takes place in a period of heightened uncertainty. the anxieties generated by the crisis and geopolitical tensions – including the large migrant flows and civil war in nearby countries – have aroused uneasy sentiments among european citizens, thus giving further ammunition to anti - european movements, and narrowing the focus of the economic and political debate to mostly domestic and short - term issues. the divergent views of the member states on fundamental issues – from migration to economic policy – weaken the eu in the eyes of the international community and in those of european citizens. the reaction of public opinion has been one of concern and rejection. the european project is sometimes perceived as a bureaucratic superstructure and a source of redundant regulations ; it is seen more and more as part of the problem, less and less as the solution. should this situation persist, the future of the economic and monetary union ( emu ), and even of the eu itself, cannot – and should not – be taken for granted. in my opinion, the necessary ingredients to strengthen the european project are precisely those that inspired the choices of the founding fathers. first, an unfailing faith in the importance of european integration. as donald tusk, president of the european council, has asked european leaders, somewhat rhetorically : ‘ if we do not believe in ourselves, in the deeper purpose of integration, why should anyone else? ’ second, it must be clear that, as president draghi recently affirmed, for the emu to be viable ‘ members have to be better off inside than they would be outside … if there are parts of the euro area that are worse off inside the union, doubts may grow about whether they might ultimately have to leave ’. finally, we must be able to design and put in place institutional arrangements and policies to address the pragmatic and pressing needs of all european citizens. with these objectives in mind, we must admit that up to now we have not been able to claim success. true, during the financial crisis european institutions and member states have demonstrated their willingness to invest in the european project. measures have been taken to strengthen the emu, such as the establishment

earn income through entrepreneurship, and set the foundations for their future through financial literacy. in the light of these objectives, during the week, a number of activities will be organised such as lectures, contests, and visits to commercial banks and the museum, aimed at including as many students as possible. this year ’ s motto “ money : you reap what you sow ” highlights the importance of money matters as a necessary means to achieve and maintain welfare. the activities that will take place during this week seek to draw the attention of the children and young people to the significance of personal finance and the impact of well - informed decisions on the personal success of each one of us individually, and of the whole society. 1 / 2 bis central bankers'speeches like in any other educational activity of the bank of albania, beyond the message that we want to convey, we consider that the inspiration, originality and pro - active thinking are determinant elements for an effective comprehension of a complex, at the same time practical, topic such as finances. we may proudly say that all the submissions for the contests are characterised by these elements, thus demonstrating that, though challenging, the financial education of children and young people may be and is possible. moreover, their work and commitment is an incentive to us to introduce more ambitious projects and expand this activity, geographically, each year. the contests for students from nine - year schools and high schools have been welcomed and the number of participants has been higher each year. this year, around 55 nine - year schools, 14 high schools, 8 universities and over 1000 pupils and students in 14 cities were involved. this success is also owed to the teachers and professors, whose passion has contributed to materialising all these efforts. concluding, i would like to thank you all for the insofar cooperation and avail myself of the opportunity to invite all the participating institutions to continue and intensify the cooperation in the future, in the commitment to contribute to the future generations and the albanian society. 2 / 2 bis central bankers'speeches