Final Consultation in Brussels, 9th & 10th May 2007

Every European country has now held a Citizens' Consultation and all their views were brought together in Brussels on Europe Day to create a final statement of the citizens' perspective.

Participants brought their proposals from all the member states to Brussels for the Final Consultation on 9 & 10 May to develop a single set of statements across all EU countries and presented them to the European Commission and European Parliament.
European Commissioner Peter Mandelson said:
"Popular support for the EU among the citizens of Europe must be built on a strong sense that the EU and its institutions reflect the real concerns and promote the interests of people in Europe. Wide and constant consultation is an important part of that, including these European Citizens' Consultations. This is a process I very much support."

Main supporters now include Lord Neil Kinnock, Lord Chris Patten, Lord Paddy Ashdown.

Helen Duffett was the citizen from the UK who discussed the proposals with participants from all other countries, to define a set of recommendations that are going to the EU Summit on 21 & 22 June. Helen said:
'I found the event on Wednesday and Thursday [9&10 May] very stimulating and as a result I have spent a lot of time since my return to London thinking about many issues raised there.'

Helen is seen below with John Bowis MEP, Jelena from King Baudouin Foundation and Oli Henman at the European Parliament

To read the final report: European Citizens' Perspectives on the Future of Europe click here

ECC - UK University of York, 24th & 25th March

While the heads of state and ministers of the European Union were meeting behind closed doors in Berlin over the week-end of the fiftieth anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, the Power Inquiry hosted an open deliberative assembly of citizens from across the UK to look forwards to ask what is the future of the European project.

A cross-section of UK citizens was invited to take part in this deliberative forum, including people from all regions of the UK, from Plymouth to Aberdeen and from Northern Ireland to Norwich. The agenda was entirely citizen-led as the main issues to be discussed had been defined by citizens of all the EU countries at an Agenda-Setting Event in October and the whole week-end was structured towards allowing the participants to refine their own views, asking them: What Europe do we want?

This was the UK part of an EU-wide citizens process which asks people in every country to come up with their own recommendations on the next steps for the European Union, thinking through the key challenges and defining vision statements for their highest priorities for the European project in the years ahead. The key issues related to the Environment, Social welfare and the Global Role of the EU and Immigration; citizens came up with recommendations on whether the EU should take more action or if it should should be less involved, plus what kind of action they would prefer in each area.

Current EU policy proposals:
BBC coverage of EU negotiations, consideration of single asylum policy click here

Contact Oli Henman, the ECC Coordinator, for further information.

Oli Henman joins the Festival of Europe organisers on Resonance FM. Oli, Niccolo and Lorenzo discuss democracy in Europe, as well as considering other parts of the world such as China and S.America.

To read our Short Report with the initial findings of the ECC - UK click here

To read the Long Report click here

For the Appendix, with the views of all the table groups click here

Related sites:

The central site of the European Citizens' Consultations click here.

London Festival of Europe
click here