Future of Europe: Vice-President Viviane Reding to Debate with Citizens in Stockholm

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

PRESS RELEASE

Brussels, 14 October 2013

Future of Europe: Vice-President Viviane Reding to debate with citizens in Stockholm

The future of Europe, citizens' rights and the recovery from the economic crisis are the topics to be discussed at the 33rd Citizens' Dialogue (see Annex) with Vice-President Viviane Reding and 350 citizens in Stockholm. The debate will take place on 15 October and Vice-President Reding will be joined by Swedish Minister for EU Affairs Birgitta Ohlsson, Member of the European Parliament Olle Ludvigsson and Lord Mayor of the City of Stockholm, Margareta Björk. "Sweden is a world leader in promoting innovation: ABBA, Volvo, Ikea or meatballs - they all originated in Sweden and have become great hits in Europe. But for me, the probably most important Swedish invention is the institution of the ombudsman set up to deal with citizens' complaints. Today the ombudsman has become a central pillar in every democracy giving citizens a voice. I can therefore not imagine a better place to discuss with citizens about how to further strengthen Europe's democratic foundations," said Vice- President Reding, EU Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship. "I am looking forward to hearing the ideas of Swedish citizens and their views and expectations on the future of our Union. Maybe it's time for another Swedish innovation that will be exported to Europe!" The Citizens' Dialogue will take place in the Stockholm City Hall on Tuesday 15 October from 13:00 to 15:00 CET. It will be moderated by Richard Olsson, a well- known presenter on Swedish national TV and broadcast live on Swedish national TV. The debate will be interactive with participants using voting devices to share their opinions. Contributions coming in via social media from people who cannot attend the event will also be streamed and discussed. Questions are welcome via Twitter using the hashtag #EUDeb8 and the whole debate can be followed live via webstream on http://www.eu-kommissionen.se/.

Background

What are the Citizens' Dialogues about? In January, the European Commission kicked off the European Year of Citizens (IP/13/2), a year dedicated to citizens and their rights. Throughout the year, members of the Commission are holding debates with citizens about their expectations for the future in Citizens' Dialogues all over the EU.

IP/13/942 Vice-President Reding has already held debates in Cádiz (Spain), in Graz (Austria), in Berlin (Germany), in Dublin (Ireland), in Coimbra (Portugal), in Thessaloniki (Greece), in Brussels (Belgium) and in Esch-sur-Alzette (Luxembourg), Warsaw (Poland), Heidelberg (Germany), Sofia (Bulgaria), Namur (Belgium), Trieste (Italy) and Helsinki (Finland). Many more Dialogues will take place all over the European Union throughout 2013 and in the first few months of 2014 – which will see European, national and local politicians engaging in a debate with citizens from all walks of life. Follow all the Dialogues here: http://ec.europa.eu/european-debate. A lot has been achieved in the twenty years since the introduction of EU Citizenship: A recent Eurobarometer survey shows that 69% of Swedes feel European (62% on average for EU citizens). However, only 55% say that they know what rights EU citizenship brings. At the same time 75% of Swedes want to know more about their rights as EU citizens. This is why the Commission has made 2013 the European Year of Citizens, a year dedicated to citizens and their rights. The Citizens' Dialogues are at the heart of this year.

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, with many voices talking about moving towards political union, a Federation of Nation States or a United States of Europe. 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 as it draws up plans for a future reform of the EU. One of the main purposes of the Dialogues will also be to prepare the ground for the 2014 European elections. 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 have (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: Further information on the Stockholm Dialogue: http://www.md.eu-kommissionen.se/ 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 have their say: Results of the consultation on EU citizens’ rights: http://ec.europa.eu/justice/citizen/files/eu-citizen-brochure_en.pdf Homepage of Vice-President Viviane Reding, EU Justice Commissioner: http://ec.europa.eu/reding

2 Site of the representation of the EC in Sweden: http://ec.europa.eu/sverige/index_sv.htm Follow the Vice-President on Twitter: @VivianeRedingEU To contribute to the debate on Twitter: #EUdeb8

3 ANNEX:

1. Citizens' Dialogues: the debate on Europe's future continues…

Member City Date European Commissioner local/national politicians State 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 None Italy Napoli 30/11/2012 Commissioner Andor Mayor of Naples Luigi de Magistris

Ireland Dublin 10/01/2013 President Barroso/ Vice- Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny / Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore / Irish President Reding European Affairs Minister Lucinda Creighton Sweden Göteborg 18/02/2013 Commissioner Malmström None 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 None Poland Warsaw 11/05/2013 Commissioner Lewandowski None Czech Prague 13/05/2013 Commissioner Füle Irish Minister for Trade John Perry / Chairman of the Czech Republic 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

4 Poland Warsaw 11/07/2013 President Barroso / Vice- Polish Member of European Parliament Róża Thun / Former President Reding 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 Estonia Tallinn 14/09/2013 Vice-Presidents Rehn / Kallas None 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 Parliament 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 / 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 TBC France Marseille 14/11/2013 Vice-President Reding French Justice Minister Christine Taubira Cyprus Nicosia 28/11/2013 Commissioner Vassiliou TBC Austria Eisenstadt 29/11/2013 Commissioner Hahn TBC Lithuania Vilnius 13/12/2013 Vice-President Reding TBC Belgium Wavre 19/12/2013 Commissioner Barnier TBC Online Virtual 16/01/2014 Vice-President Reding TBC dialogue Denmark Copenhagen 06/02/2014 Commissioner Hedegaard TBC United London 11/02/2014 Vice-President Reding TBC Kingdom Netherlands Utrecht 13/02/2014 Vice-President Reding TBC Spain Barcelona 23/02/2014 Vice-President Reding TBC Belgium European 27/03/2014 Vice-President Reding TBC Citizens' Dialogue

5 2. Three in four Swedes want to know more about their rights

Source: Eurobarometer Standard 79 - May 2013

6 3. Swedes see peace and freedom of movement as most positive results of EU

Source: Eurobarometer Standard 79 - May 2013

Contacts : Mina Andreeva (+32 2 299 13 82) Natasha Bertaud (+32 2 296 74 56)