Every two years, the Grand-Place in Brussels is dressed in its traditional "floral mantle" on 12th August. Each edition of the Flower Carpet is dedicated to a new theme. This year, as might be expected, the Belgian Presidency of the European Union was the obvious cornerstone of the colourful spectacle.

The 650,000 begonias and dahlias from Flanders that made up the carpet were positioned so they gave pride of place to the "eu" logo of the Belgian Presidency, which was designed by Antoine Durieux, a Belgian designer of just 23. In the corners of the carpet, two inescapable symbols of Brussels were depicted: one was the city's patron saint Michael slaying the dragon. The second was the emblem of the Brussels-Capital Region: the yellow iris on a blue background.

The official inauguration of this masterpiece was held on 12th August in the evening, in the magnificent rooms of the Town Hall. On this occasion, invitees were given the opportunity to discover the angelic voices of the Vocal Brussels Project a cappella group, and hear a speech by Philip Close, Brussels Alderman for Tourism and Personnel and Member of the Regional Parliament.

The Flower Carpet was opened to the public for all visitors to the Grand-Place. The Town Hall was opened also to enable visitors to enjoy a panoramic view of the carpet from the Town Hall balconies. Every night a son-et-lumière spectacle enhanced the experience and turned the floral mantle into a swirling evening dress for the Grand-Place.

Besides, during the summer season Europe has planned numerous cultural events of this nature in many different cities all around its geography. In these festivals, European citizens have the opportunity to enjoy a full range of cultural programmes of theatre, music or dance, in the most varied styles and many different places.