The analysis of the proposals and the next steps after the Conference on the Future of Europe.
THE European Commission issued a statement outlining how it can follow up on its results Conference on the Future of Europe.
After a year of deliberations, the Conference ended on 9 May 2022. At the closing ceremony in Strasbourg, the Presidents of the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council received a final report from the Conference participants, which contained 49 broad, ambitious and long-term proposals and 326 individual measures.
These proposals, which cover nine broad thematic areas, were based on recommendations made by citizens during the work of European Citizens ‘Groups and National Citizens’ Groups, who contributed their ideas through the multilingual digital platform.
Many quality proposals were submitted during the Conference. However, its success will ultimately depend on the change it can bring about, the commission said. In this spirit, the European Commission, together with the European Parliament and the Council, committed themselves in the Joint Declaration of March 2021 to follow up on what has been proposed – each institution within its remit and in accordance with the Treaties.
The Commission communication is the first step it will take. It provides an assessment of the steps required to follow up on the Conference proposals, provides an overview of the next steps and describes the best way to draw lessons from the Conference and integrate participatory democracy into EU policy and legislation. The success of the European Citizens’ Groups in the Conference, the Commission will allow these groups to discuss and make recommendations before some key proposals, in the context of its broader policy-making and in accordance with the principles of better regulation.
The President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stressed that “European citizens have given us rich and broad ideas for the betterment of our Union: 49 detailed proposals and more than 300 meters for the betterment of everyday life and the building of a better future. We promised to continue. Today’s announcement is the first step in this direction. I will always stand by those who want to reform our Union for the better. “.
Analysis of the proposals and next steps
The Commission believes that, in order for the evaluation of proposals to be credible, it is important to maintain their spirit and letter – without any new interpretation or choice. This is set out in the Annex to this Communication. The 49 proposals are divided into the same thematic areas selected by the Conference, with the Commission’s assessment set out below each area.
The annex contains four categories of responses: existing initiatives on proposals (eg European climate legislation), actions already proposed by the Commission which are required to be approved by the European Parliament and the Council (e.g. the new Pact on Migration), planned actions to implement the ideas, based on new concerns of the Conference (eg the Freedom of the Media Act) and new proposals or areas of work inspired by the proposals, which fall within the remit of the Commission (eg mental health issues).
The first package of new proposals will be announced in the speech of President von der Leyen on the state of the Union in September 2022, as well as in the cover letter of intent. These proposals will be included in the Commission’s work program for 2023 and beyond. The Commission will then ensure that the new reforms and policies do not preclude discussions on the need to amend the Treaties, focusing on making the most of the existing possibilities, while being open to changes to the Treaties where this is necessary.
In order to inform the citizens who participated in the Conference and to maintain the momentum, a feedback event of the Conference will be organized in the autumn of 2022. This event will present and explain how the three EU institutions follow up on the issues of the Conference and will take stock of the progress made at that stage of the process.
