Debate on the future of Europe: Commissioner Barnier and French Minister Repentin will debate issues with citizens
European Commission
Press release
Brussels, 26 February 2014
Debate on the future of Europe: Commissioner Barnier and French Minister Repentin will debate issues with citizens at Plaine Saint Denis
The future of Europe, citizens' rights and the economic recovery are the topics to be discussed at the 46th Citizens' Dialogue (see Annex) with Michel Barnier, Thierry Repentin and 350 citizens, which will take place on 27 February 2014 in Paris - Plaine Saint Denis.
' Euroscepticism is fuelled by the economic crisis, dangerous over-simplification and distortions. We must have a debate, explain the European project and continue to improve Europe', declared Michel Barnier, Member of the European Commission responsible for internal market and services. 'The dialogue taking place tomorrow will be an opportunity for citizens to get answers to their questions and make their voices heard with the institutions whose job it is to shape the European general interest'.
Citizens from all over the Ile de France area will participate in the dialogue at Plaine Saint Denis alongside politicians, business leaders and cultural figures fromFrance. Thierry Repentin, the Minister with responsibility for European Affairs, will take part in the dialogue alongside Michel Barnier.
The debate takes place on 27 February 2012 from 17.30 to 20.00 CET at the Docks of Plaine St Denis and will be preceded by a press conference. It can be followed live via webstream . Citizens from all over Europe can also participate via Twitter by using the hashtag #EUDeb8 and Facebook .
Background
What are the Citizens' Dialogues about?
In January 2013, the European Commission launched the European Year of Citizens ( IP/13/2 ), dedicated to citizens and their rights. Throughout the year, members of the Commission took part in debates with citizens about their expectations for the future in Citizens' Dialogues all over the EU. These actions will continue in 2014, the year of the European elections.
So far, 45 Citizens’ Dialogues have already taken place across the European Union, with a member of the Commission (see Annex) and national and European politicians present on each occasion. All of the Dialogues can be followed at: http://ec.europa.eu/debate-future-europe
According to a recent Eurobarometer survey , 36 % of French people think that their voice counts in Europe (the EU average is 29 %). 57 % of French people feel European (the EU average is 59 %). However, only 29 % of them said that they know what rights EU citizenship gives them, the lowest percentage of the 28 Member States. At the same time, 68 % of French people would like to know more about their rights as EU citizens. Finally, France is one of three countries, along with Portugal and Italy, in which citizens say they find it difficult to understand the functioning of the EU (only 43 % in France) and 80 % think that they are not well-informed (the second lowest) - only the Spanish feel less informed than the French in the EU.
The Commission declared 2013 the 'European Year of Citizens' for the purpose of holding debates about the concerns, questions and rights of citizens. The Citizens' Dialogues were at the heart of 2013 and will continue in 2014.
Why is the Commission doing this now?
Because Europe is at a crossroads. The coming months and years will be decisive for the future course of the European Union. Furthermore, European integration must go hand in hand with strengthening the Union's democratic legitimacy. Giving citizens a direct voice in this debate is therefore more important than ever.
What will be the outcome of the Dialogues?
The feedback from citizens during the Dialogues will help guide the Commission in drawing up plans for a future reform of the EU.
On 8 May 2013 the European Commission published its second EU Citizenship Report , which puts forward 12 new concrete measures to solve problems citizens still encounter ( IP/13/410 and MEMO/13/409 ). The Citizens' Report is the Commission's answer to a major online consultation held from May 2012 ( IP/12/461 ) and the questions raised and suggestions made in Citizens' Dialogues on EU citizens' rights and their future.
For more information:
On meetings and debates organised in Marseille:
Debates with citizens on the Future of Europe:
http://ec.europa.eu/debate-future-europe
European Year of Citizens:
http://europa.eu/citizens-2013
Europeans are entitled to have their say: Results of the consultation on EU citizens’ rights:
http://ec.europa.eu/justice/citizen/files/eu-citizen-brochure_en.pdf
Welcome page of the website of Michel Barnier, European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/barnier/index_en.htm
Follow the Commissioner on Twitter: @MBarnierEU
European Commission Representation in France:
http://ec.europa.eu/france/index_fr.htm
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Chantal Hughes (+32 2 296 44 50) Audrey Augier (+32 2 297 16 07) Carmel Dunne (+32 2 299 88 94) For the public: Europe Direct by telephone on 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 or email |
ANNEX
The debate on Europe's future continues…
Member State |
City |
Date |
European Commissioner |
local/national politicians |
Spain |
Cadiz |
27/09/2012 |
Vice-President Reding |
Mayor of Cádiz Teófila Martínez Saíz |
Austria |
Graz |
05/11/2012 |
Vice-President Reding |
Austrian Vice-Chancellor/Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger |
Germany |
Berlin |
10/11/2012 |
Vice-President Reding |
German Member of European Parliament Dagmar Roth-Behrendt |
France |
Paris |
23/11/2012 |
Vice-President Reding |
"-" |
Italy |
Napoli |
30/11/2012 |
Commissioner Andor |
Mayor of Naples Luigi de Magistris |
Ireland |
Dublin |
10/01/2013 |
President Barroso/ Vice-President Reding |
Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny with Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore / Irish European Affairs Minister Lucinda Creighton |
Sweden |
Göteborg |
18/02/2013 |
Commissioner Malmström |
"-" |
Italy |
Torino |
21/02/2013 |
Commissioner Malmström |
Mayor of Turin Piero Fassino |
Portugal |
Coimbra |
22/02/2013 |
Vice-President Reding |
Mayor of Coimbra João Paulo Barbosa de Melo, Mayor of Esch-sur-Alzette Lydia Mutsch (video link), Luxembourgish Member of Parliament Felix Braz |
Italy |
Rome |
18/03/2013 |
Vice-President Tajani |
Mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno |
Greece |
Thessaloniki |
22/03/2013 |
Vice-President Reding |
Mayor of Thessaloniki Yiannis Boutaris |
Italy |
Pisa |
05/04/2013 |
Commissioner Potočnik |
Mayor of Pisa Marco Filippeschi |
Belgium |
Ghent |
12/04/2013 |
Commissioner De Gucht |
Mayor of Ghent Daniël Termont / Belgian Member of Parliament Geert Versnick |
Belgium |
Eupen |
23/04/2013 |
Commissioner Hahn |
Belgian MEP Mathieu Grosch/Begian Minister-President of the German Community Karl-Heinz Lambertz |
Belgium |
Bruxelles |
04/05/2013 |
Vice-President Reding |
Minister-President of the Brussels region Charles Picqué / Belgian Member of European Parliament Marc Tarabella |
Germany |
Düsseldorf |
08/05/2013 |
Commissioner Oettinger |
German Member of European Parliament Jürgen Klute / Chairman of "Committee on Europe and a Single World" Nicolaus Kern / Spokespersons of the North Rhine-Westphalia Parliament on European issues - Ilka Freifrau von Boeselager, Stefan Engstfeld, Markus Töns and Dr Ingo Wolf |
Slovenia |
Ljubljana |
09/05/2013 |
Commissioner Potočnik |
"-" |
Poland |
Warsaw |
11/05/2013 |
Commissioner Lewandowski |
"-" |
Czech Republic |
Prague |
13/05/2013 |
Commissioner Füle |
Irish Minister for Trade John Perry/Chairman of the Czech Parliament's European Affairs Committee Jan Bauer / Czech Members of the European Parliament Jan Březina and Libor Rouček / Deputy State Secretary for European Affairs Martin Tlapa |
Italy |
Ventotene |
27/05/2013 |
Vice-President Tajani |
Mayor of Ventotene Giuseppe Assenso |
Italy |
Milano |
07/06/2013 |
Commissioner Hedegaard |
Mayor of Milan Giuliano Pisapia |
Luxembourg |
Esch |
30/06/2013 |
Vice-President Reding |
Luxembourgish MEP Charles Goerens / Luxembourg Member of Parliament Félix Braz / Wallonian Regional Minister Benoit Lutgen / Luxembourg Minister for Labour and Employment Nicolas Schmit |
Poland |
Warsaw |
11/07/2013 |
President Barroso / Vice-President Reding |
Polish Member of European Parliament Róża Thun / Former Prime Minister Tadeusz Masowiecki |
Greece |
Crete |
12/07/2013 |
Commissioner Damanaki |
Governor of the Crete region Stavros Arnaoutakis / Greek Member of Parliament Spyros Danellis / Mayor of Heraklion Giannis Kourakis |
Germany |
Heidelberg |
16/07/2013 |
Vice-President Reding |
Baden Wüttemberg Minister-President Winfred Kretschmann |
Bulgaria |
Sofia |
23/07/2013 |
Vice-President Reding |
Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev |
Belgium |
Namur |
13/09/2013 |
Vice-President Reding |
Minister-President of Wallonia Rudi Demotte |
Tallinn |
14/09/2013 |
Vice-Presidents Rehn / Kallas |
"-" |
|
Italy |
Trieste |
16/09/2013 |
Vice-President Reding |
Italian Minister for European Affairs Enzo Moavero Milanesi |
Finland |
Helsinki |
24/09/2013 |
Vice-President Reding |
Finnish Member of European Parliament Sirpa Pietikäinen / Finnish MP, Member of the Grand Committee Tuomo Puumala (Centre/ALDE) / Finnish MP, Chair of the Grand Committee, former President of the European Movement in Finland Miapetra Kumpula-Natri (SDP/S&D) / Chairperson of the Young People's Working Group on the Future of the EU Milla Ovaska |
Hungary |
Györ |
03/10/2013 |
Commissioner Andor |
Hungarian State Secretary for EU Affairs Enikő Győri and Member of the European Parliametn Csaba Őry. |
Slovakia |
Košice |
05/10/2013 |
Vice-President Šefčovic |
Slovak Prime Minster Robert Fico |
Sweden |
Stockholm |
15/10/2013 |
Vice-President Reding |
Swedish Minister for EU Affairs Birgitta Ohlsson, Member of European Parliament Olle Ludvigsson and Mayor of Stockholm Sten Nordin |
Belgium |
Liège |
17/10/2013 |
President Barroso |
Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and European Affairs Didier Reynders / Economic Minister for Wallonia Jean-Claude Marcourt |
Latvia |
Riga |
18/10/2013 |
Commissioner Piebalgs |
Latvian Defence Minister Artis Pabriks |
Malta |
Valetta |
07/11/2013 |
Commissioner Borg |
"-" |
France |
Marseille |
14/11/2013 |
Vice-President Reding |
French Justice Minister Christiane Taubira |
Cyprus |
Limassol |
28/11/2013 |
Commissioner Vassiliou |
"-" |
Austria |
Eisenstadt |
29/11/2013 |
Commissioner Hahn |
Governor of Burgenland Hans Niessl |
Belgium |
Bruxelles |
05/12/2013 |
Commissioner Vassiliou |
Plácido Domingo, opera singer, President of Europa Nostra; Michelangelo Pistoletto, painter, member of the Culture Committee of the “New Narrative for Europe” initiative; Isabelle Durant, Vice-President of the European Parliament (tbc);Paul Dujardin, Director of the Palais des Beaux-Arts (BOZAR), Brussels |
Lithuania |
Vilnius |
13/12/2013 |
Vice-President Reding |
"-" |
Online |
Online |
16/01/2014 |
Vice-President Reding |
"-" |
Denmark |
Copenhagen |
06/02/2014 |
Commissioner Hedegaard |
"-" |
UK |
London |
10/02/2014 |
Vice-President Reding |
David Lidington, Minister of State for Europe |
Spain |
Barcelona |
23/02/2014 |
Vice-President Reding |
"-" |
France |
Paris |
27/02/2014 |
Commissioner Barnier |
Thierry Repentin, French Minister for European Affairs |
Croatia |
Zagreb |
03/03/2014 |
Commissioner Mimica |
TBC |
Germany |
Koblenz |
10/03/2014 |
Commissioner Oettinger |
Minister-President Dreyer (Rhineland-Palatinate); State Minister for Europe Margit Conrad |
Netherlands |
Amsterdam |
14/03/2014 |
Vice-President Reding |
Eberhard van der Laan, Mayor of Amsterdam |
Romania |
Bucharest |
17/03/2014 |
Commissioner Cioloş |
TBC |
Belgium |
European Citizens' Dialogue |
27/03/2014 |
Vice-President Reding |
TBC |