On its first day, there were 3,000 registrations on the digital platform for the Conference on the Future of Europe. This figure shows an “impressive” initial take-up in the opinion of the Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs and confirms the relevance of this initiative for giving citizens an active role in the future of the European Union.
“It's impressive: in 24 hours, we have 3,000 participants on the platform and over 100 events registered, which means it is a really interesting and innovative instrument for increasing participatory democracy”, Ana Paula Zacarias emphasised, speaking from Brussels after chairing the meeting of Ministers of European Affairs.
Hearing citizens on the future of the EU
The Conference on the Future of Europe consists of a number of conferences and discussions organised throughout the EU, as well as through an interactive digital platform. These conferences, in-person or digital, can be organised at different levels – European, national, transnational and regional – and will involve civil society and stakeholders.
European panel discussions will also be organised, taking into account the contributions received on the platform, fuelling reflection at the plenary session of the Conference through the formulation of a set of recommendations for the EU to follow up on.
The plenary session of the conference will meet at least once every six months and will be made up of representatives of the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission, as well as representatives from all national parliaments, on equal footing, and citizens.
