What is the Conference of the Future of Europe?
The Conference on the Future of Europe is a citizen-led series of debates and discussions that will enable people from across Europe to share their ideas and help shape our common future.
It is the European Union´s way to hear from the public, and it is OUR chance to spread the message of the social economy, an economic model based on values of people before profit, democratic governance, and re-investment of all or most of the profits for the good of the community, services of general interest or for more jobs!
This conference is a series of lectures, events, debates and public input – all of which can be found on a central platform hub. It is a major democratic exercise, and a sign that the EU wants to listen to the public on how we want to shape the future of Europe. It is a forum for an open, inclusive, and transparent debate!
There is an EU Charter, that you will have to adhere to if you want to organise an event or have your say by inputting your ideas. Social Economy Europe have an event on the platform and we will use the resulting knowledge to share our ideas on the future of Europe!
The inaugural event will take place on the 9th May on Europe Day (where many other events are set to take place on the Anniversary of the Shuman Declaration). It will be broadcast live, and will feature remote citizen participation and interventions by the Presidents of the three EU institutions.
There are two starting tracks of the Conference – the platform and the citizens’ panels. These panels are tasked with drafting the European citizens’ agenda for the Conference and encouragingly are formed of 200 citizens and will ensure that at least one female and one male citizen per Member State is included. Citizens will be chosen randomly to set up panels that are representative of the EU’s diversity, in terms of geographic origin, gender, age, socioeconomic background and level of education. Young people between 16 and 25 will make up one-third of each panel.
The Conference will end in a plenary, which is being organised now. This will present and encompass many of the lessons learned throughout the conference through the events and the ideas inputs (among many other things).
Decisions on organisation are made by the executive board, made up of representatives from the three institutions (European Parliament, Council and Commission), on equal footing.
People from all walks of life and in numbers as large as possible are encouraged to contribute, via the platform, in shaping their future – and also to promote the platform on social media channels, with the hashtag #TheFutureIsYours
So how do you do it? See below for instructions on how you can have your say on the future of Europe!
Follow this link: Conference on the Future of Europe (europa.eu)






