Future of Europe: final Citizens’ Panel session on “EU in the world/migration” - Main contents

On 11-13 February, the fourth European Citizens’ Panel of the Conference on the Future of Europe will meet in Maastricht to debate and deliver its recommendations.

The European Institute of Public Administration in Maastricht and Studio Europa Maastricht (Netherlands) are hosting the final session of this Panel, in which some 200 panellists will participate. They met twice already in 2021 to discuss issues related to “EU in the world/migration”: in Strasbourg in October and online in November. During their first meeting, the panellists established five work streams: self-reliance and stability; the EU as an international partner; a strong EU in a peaceful world; migration from a human perspective; and responsibility and solidarity across the EU.

Over the course of the weekend (11-13 February), they are expected to finalise their recommendations, which will then be debated at the Conference Plenary meeting on 11-12 March. You can find all relevant information, including the latest report on the Panel’s work, on the dedicated Panel 4 webpage. The draft agenda is available here.

The session will take place with panellists physically present, in full respect of the public health measures in place in the Netherlands. To make sure all panellists can take part, hybrid facilities will be available to connect remotely as well.

How to follow the Panel session

The main meetings will be livestreamed on the Conference’s Multilingual Digital Platform, as well as on Parliament’s Multimedia Centre (Friday and Sunday), where recorded versions will also be available.

Journalists who wish to attend in person have to register using the following link: https://register.futureu.events/200229926?categoryid=201800825&t=3bab76a18c97f3eb80f3a65f6edd834a

You will need to be an accredited journalist (in an EU Member State or the European institutions) to access the premises. A press working area will be available in the following building:

MECC Maastricht (main entrance)

Brightlands Foyer

Forum 100, 6229 GV Maastricht

The Netherlands

Tel: +31 (0)43 38 38 383

For further practical information, contact Maria Brianchon on maria.brianchon@europarl.europa.eu / +32 470 88 02 38 or Willemijn De Jong on willemijn.dejong@europarl.europa.eu / +31 6 1294 0913.

Press point with Guy Verhofstadt

A press point with Parliament’s Co-Chair of the Executive Board of the Conference will take place on Saturday at 16.00. Further information will be available in the press room of the Panel session.

Background

The Conference Plenary of 21-22 January took stock of the recommendations delivered by the European Citizens’ Panels and national Citizens’ Panels on ‘European democracy / Values and rights, rule of law, security’ and on ‘Climate change, environment / Health’.

The four European Citizens’ Panels take into account citizens’ contributions from across Europe collected via the Multilingual Digital Platform and from events held across the Member States. Prominent academics and other experts helped with specific questions when the citizens requested it. Citizens were randomly selected by specialist contractors, who ensured that they are representative of the EU’s diversity.

Eighty representatives (20 from each of the European Citizens’ Panels, of which at least one-third is aged between 16 and 25 years) are members of the Conference Plenary. There, they debate with MEPs, national government and parliament representatives, European Commissioners, and other Plenary Members from EU bodies, regional and local authorities, social partners and civil society.