Europe Marks 50th Anniversary of Marshall Plan

More than 40 European Heads of State or Government will assemble in The Hague tomorrow, Wednesday 28th May, along with US President Bill Clinton to attend a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Marshall Plan.

The Minister for European Affairs, Mr Gay Mitchell T.D., will represent the Taoiseach at the event, which is being hosted by the Dutch Presidency of the European Union.

The United States contributed a total of $13.3 billion to 16 countries including Ireland under the Marshall Plan - the equivalent of more than $65 billion today - to facilitate European economic recovery after World War II.

The plan - formally entitled the European Recovery Programme - was devised by US Secretary of State George C. Marshall in 1947 and was put into effect over a four-year period between 1948 and 1952.Top