Future EU forum: Commission ready to listen but will citizens speak?

A new Commission internet site, available in 20 languages, has been created to start a European citizens forum on the future of the EU after the rejections of the proposed EU constitution in France and the Netherlands.

With the new multilingual internet forum, the Commission wants to promote and support the national debates on the future of the EU. The site consists of links to all essential background information and documents issued by the Commission since the reflection period started and offers citizens the possibility of voicing their opinions on questions related to the EU’s future path. The questions are organised around three broad themes:

• Europe’s economic and social development (Lisbon reform agenda and sustainable development);
• Citizens’ feelings towards Europe and what are the Union’s tasks?
• What are the borders of Europe and what is the EU’s role in the world?

The site also provides links to the national debates in the member states. Unfortunately, only eight out of the 25 member states seem to have started such a national consultation (Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, UK and Sweden).

This raises the question of whether European citizens are really interested in this debate? Even in those countries where national debates will be held, how much response from citizens will these fora really get? Who will be the people who participate, knowing that the internet still has its limitations? Will this instrument reach the opinion-makers in the member states? How will the answers to the debates be processed later? Will the reactions really count or is the debate just for show (“ein Feigenblatt” or a “fig leaf” as one of the first Austrian reactions on the “debate Europe” site predicted)?

“Plan D” is only one of the efforts by the EU to “bridge the gap” with citizens. Commission Vice-President Margot Wallström also presented an “internal action plan” and a White Paper on Communication, which is meant to gather opinions on how to improve the EU’s communication strategy towards its citizens and counter the increasing doubts Europeans have about the role and further development of the Union.

Read more with Euractiv

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