Citizens' Dialogues
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NA-04-14-466-EN-C CITIZENS’ DIALOGUES: It’s about Europe, It’s about you! Citizens’ Dialogues: It’s about Europe, It’s about You! about Europe, It’s Citizens’ Dialogues: It’s European Commission Directorate-General for Communication http://ec.europa.eu/debate-future-europe/ #EUDeb8 3 Foreword The economic and financial crisis has triggered bold reforms in the European Union, with fur- ther big changes still to come. More and more decisions that directly affect the lives of citizens are now taken at European level. The democratic structures of our Union, therefore, have to be strengthened further. Citizens need to feel confident that their voices count. That is why, in September 2012, the European Commission started the Citizens’ Dialogues. President José Manuel Barroso and most Commissioners took part in the first series of 51 debates, held in all Member States to listen to citizens and to talk to them directly – about their expectations and ideas for the future of Europe. From the first debate in Cadiz to a unique Pan-European Dialogue in Brussels bringing together participants from previous events, the discussions had a European character: They were usually held with other European as well as national, regional and local politicians. And they inspired similar events initiated in several Member States. I hope the photos and quotes on the following pages serve to keep alive the memories of these debates, of the intense experiences we had. An analysis of this series of Citizens’ Dialogues shows how they are helping to develop a European public space: A space in which we talk with each other, not about each other. We have started a debate. We need to keep it going. Citizens’ voices count and we must continue to listen as we further enhance democracy at European level. Let us move this debate forward, with many more Citizens’ Dialogues. At European, national, regional, local level. For an even broader, truly European debate on the future of the European Union. Viviane Reding Vice-President of the European Commission 4 Citizens’ Dialogues 51 Citizens’ Dialogues in 28 Member States September 2012 – March 2014 Spain Cadiz France Page 8 Vincennes page 14 27/09/2012 European Commission 23/11/2012 Vice-President and Commissioner for European Commission Justice, Fundamental Rights Vice-President and Commissioner for and Citizenship Viviane Reding, Justice, Fundamental Rights and Mayor Teófila Martinez Saiz Citizenship Viviane Reding Austria Graz Italy Page 10 Naples 05/11/2012 page 16 European Commission Vice-President and Commissioner 30/11/2012 for Justice, Fundamental Rights and European Commissioner for Citizenship Viviane Reding, Employment, Social Affairs Vice-Chancellor of Austria Michael and Inclusion László Andor, Spindelegger Mayor Luigi de Magistris Germany Ireland Berlin Dublin Page 12 page 18 10/11/2012 10/01/2013 European Commission European Commission President José Vice-President and Commissioner for Manuel Barroso, Vice-President and Justice, Fundamental Rights and Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Citizenship Viviane Reding, Rights and Citizenship Viviane Reding, MEP Dagmar Roth-Behrendt Prime Minister Enda Kenny, Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore, Minister of State for European Affairs Lucinda Creighton Sweden Gothenburg page 20 18/02/2013 European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström 5 Belgium Italy Ghent Poland Turin page 32 Warsaw page 22 page 42 12/04/2013 21/02/2013 European Commissioner for Trade 11/05/2013 European Commissioner for Home Affairs Karel De Gucht, European Commissioner for Financial Cecilia Malmström, Mayor Daniel Termont, Programming and Budget Mayor Piero Fassino Director of the Open Society Institute for Janusz Lewandowski Europe Jordi Vaquer Czech Republic Belgium Portugal Prague Eupen page 44 Coimbra page 34 page 24 13/05/2013 23/04/2013 European Commissioner for Enlargement and European 22/02/2013 European Commissioner for Regional Policy Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle, European Commission Johannes Hahn, Minister of State for Small Business John Perry, Vice-President and Commissioner for MEP Mathieu Grosch, Chairman of the Czech Parliament’s EU Affairs Justice, Fundamental Rights and Minister-President of the German - Committee Jan Bauer, Citizenship Viviane Reding speaking community of Belgium Karl-Heinz MEP Jan Březina, MEP Libor Rouček, Lambertz Czech Deputy State Secretary for European Affairs Martin Tlapa Belgium Italy Italy Brussels Rome Ventotene page 36 page 26 page 46 18/03/2013 04/05/2013 European Commission 27/05/2013 European Commission Vice-President and Commissioner for European Commission Vice-President and Commissioner Justice, Fundamental Rights and Vice-President and Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship Citizenship Viviane Reding, for Industry and Entrepreneurship Antonio Tajani, Minister-President of the Brussels -Capital Antonio Tajani, Mayor Giovanni Alemanno Region Charles Picqué Mayor Giuseppe Assenso Greece Germany Thessaloniki Italy Dusseldorf page 28 Milan page 38 page 48 22/03/2013 European Commission 08/05/2013 07/06/2013 Vice-President and Commissioner for European Commissioner for Energy European Commissioner for Climate Action, Justice, Fundamental Rights and Günther Oettinger, Connie Hedegaard, Citizenship Viviane Reding, MEP Jürgen Klute Mayor Giuliano Pisapia Mayor Yannis Boutaris Luxembourg Esch-sur-Alzette Italy Slovenia page 50 Pisa Ljubljana page 30 page 40 30/06/2013 European Commission 05/04/2013 09/05/2013 Vice-President and Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental European Commissioner Rights and Citizenship Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for the Environment MEP Charles Goerens, for the Environment Janez Potočnik, Minister for Labour Nicolas Schmit, Janez Potočnik Mayor Marco Filippeschi MP Félix Braz, Minister of Public Works, Agriculture, Rural Affairs, Patrimony and Nature Policy of Wallonia Benoit Lutgen 6 Poland Estonia Sweden Warsaw Stockholm page 52 Tallinn page 62 Page 72 11/07/2013 15/10/2013 European Commission President José 14/09/2013 European Commission Manuel Barroso, European Commission European Commission Vice-President and Vice-President and Commissioner for Vice-President and Commissioner for Commissioner for Transport Justice, Fundamental Rights and Justice, Fundamental Rights and Siim Kallas, Citizenship Viviane Reding, Citizenship Viviane Reding, Vice-President and Commissioner Minister for European Union Affairs Prime Minister Donald Tusk, for Economic and Monetary Affairs Birgitta Ohlsson, MEP Roza Thun, and the Euro Olli Rehn MEP Olle Ludvigsson former Prime Minister Tadeuz Mazowiecki Greece Italy Belgium Heraklion Trieste Liège page 54 page 64 page 74 12/07/2013 16/09/2013 17/10/2013 European Commission European Commissioner for Maritime European Commission President José Vice-President and Commissioner for Affairs and Fisheries Manuel Barroso, Justice, Fundamental Rights and Maria Damanaki, Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium Citizenship Viviane Reding, MEP Spyros Danellis, Didier Reynders, Minister of European Affairs Governor Stavros Arnaoutakis Vice Minister - President of Wallonia Enzo Moavero Milanesi Jean-Claude Marcourt Germany Finland Heidelberg Helsinki Latvia page 56 page 66 Riga 16/07/2013 page 76 European Commission 24/09/2013 Vice-President and Commissioner for European Commission 18/10/2013 Justice, Fundamental Rights and Vice-President and Commissioner for Commissioner for Development Citizenship Viviane Reding, Justice, Fundamental Rights and Andris Piebalgs, Minister-President of the state of Baden- Citizenship Viviane Reding, Minister of Defence Artis Pabriks Württemberg Winfried Kretschmann MEP Sirpa Pietikäinen Bulgaria Hungary Győr Sofia Malta Page 68 page 58 Valletta page 78 23/07/2013 03/10/2013 European Commissioner for European Commission Employment, Social Affairs Vice-President and Commissioner for 07/11/2013 and Inclusion László Andor, Justice, Fundamental Rights and European Commissioner for Health State Secretary for European Affairs Citizenship Viviane Reding, Tonio Borg Enikő Győri, President Rosen Plevneliev MEP Csaba Őry Belgium Slovakia France Namur Košice Marseille page 60 Page 70 page 80 13/09/2013 05/10/2013 European Commission 14/11/2013 European Commission Vice-President and Vice-President and Commissioner for European Commission Commissioner for Interinstitutional Justice, Fundamental Rights and Vice-President and Commissioner for Relations and Administration Citizenship Viviane Reding, Justice, Fundamental Rights and Maroš Šefčovič, Minister-President of Wallonia Citizenship Viviane Reding, Slovak Parliament President Pavol Paška Rudy Demotte Minister of Justice Christiane Taubira 7 Germany Cyprus Denmark Koblenz Limassol Copenhagen page 102 page 82 page 92 10/03/2014 European Commissioner for Energy 28/11/2013 06/02/2014 Günther Oettinger, European Commissioner for European Commissioner Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate Education, Culture, Multilingualism for Climate Action Maler Dreyer, and Youth Androulla Vassiliou Connie Hedegaard State Minister for Europe of Rhineland- Palatinate Margit Conrad United Kingdom Austria The Netherlands London Eisenstadt Amsterdam page 94 page 84 page 104 10/02/2014 14/03/2014 29/11/2013 European Commission European Commission European Commissioner for Regional Policy Vice-President and Commissioner for Vice-President and Commissioner for Johannes Hahn, Justice, Fundamental Rights and Justice, Fundamental Rights and Minister-President of Burgenland Citizenship Viviane Reding, Citizenship Viviane Reding, Hans Niessl Minister