European Citizens' Consultations I: Citizens from all 25 EU Member States define their goals for Europe

September 2006

The weekend of 7-8 October will see Commission Vice President Margot Wallström launch the biggest-ever pan-European debate involving citizens from all 25 EU Member States to find out what they want from Europe and which issues matter to them most.

This “Agenda Setting Event” at the ExpoCenter (Heyzel) in Brussels marks the start of an unprecedented consultation exercise which will lead to simultaneous, parallel dialogues between citizens in every EU Member State. The results of this process, which will be presented to EU policy-makers in spring 2007, are aimed at inspiring policy-makers as they begin to chart a new course for Europe following the rejection of the EU’s Constitutional Treaty in two referenda in 2005.

"European Citizens' Agenda"

Two hundred citizens from 25 countries, selected at random to represent the diversity of the population, will travel over 300,000 km to take part in this unique debate. Over the course of two days, they will craft a “European Citizens’ Agenda”, which will identify three key topics for discussion at national events. On Sunday afternoon, this will be handed over to the project’s national partners, who will use it as a basis for the subsequent National Consultation events in all 25 Member States in early 2007.

“This dialogue is designed to set an example. It will ensure that the voices of those who are at the heart of the European project - the citizens – are heard,” says Luc Tayart de Borms, Managing Director of the King Baudouin Foundation.

The participants will be supported in their discussions by simultaneous interpretation into 20 languages, innovative facilitation methods and modern technology to ensure every one of them can contribute to defining the Europe they want.

The partners

The European Citizens Consultations are organised by a group of independent organisations led by the King Baudouin Foundation (Belgium) in collaboration with European Citizen Action Service (ECAS), the European Policy Centre (EPC) and the Network of European Foundations (NEF). They are supported by Compagnia di San Paolo, Riksbankens Jubileumsfond and the Robert Bosch Foundation. The European network of partners and funders includes organisations from all Member States.

One of the politeia founders The Dutch Centre for Political Participation (IPP) will be the partner organization responsible for the National Consultation event in the Netherlands.

For more information see: http://www.european-citizens-consultations.eu