The follow-up to the outcome of the Conference is a shared responsibility of the participating institutions, according to their institutional remit and in respect of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. Clear and effective communication will be essential in this follow-up, notably to ensure buy-in from citizens and build trust in the process and its outcomes. To keep citizens informed and to keep up the momentum, a Conference Feedback Event will be organized in autumn 2022. This event would be the moment for communicating how the three EU institutions are following up and to take stock of progress at that stage of the process. It will be an opportunity to create a clear and cohesive link between the outcomes of the Conference and the future activities that it has inspired.

The Conference has shown that Europeans are determined to build a better future. They see the European Union as a way to achieve this and want to build it together with elected representatives. A Europe of peace and prosperity, fairness and progress, a Europe that is social and sustainable, that is caring while also daring to implement bold policies that will benefit all generations. Their vision is clear, and the many initiatives set out in this Communication will enable the Commission to start putting that vision into concrete action.

As set out in this Communication and its annex, the Conference provided much to work on But it has also provided much to learn and much to keep – not least the energy and momentum to improve Europe and help it move forward. While the Conference may have finished, the work is only starting to follow up on the clear proposals made to improve Europe and to ensure that all citizens can continue to have their say on policies that affect them.

This is also an opportunity to start a reflection on how the experience gained in the Conference can be translated into the fostering of a European civic identity. This would involve, notably, assessing how education and communication can provide space for the development of this type of engagement.

These are part of the Commission’s wider efforts to strengthen Europe’s democracy and public space. At a time of rising conflict and authoritarianism around the world, democracies and democratic resilience require attention and nurturing more than ever. Under the European Democracy Action Plan, the Commission has recently proposed measures to strengthen European political parties and enable them to campaign across border, as part of measures aimed at protecting election integrity and open democratic debate. It also made proposals to uphold and strengthen the rights of EU mobile citizens, in particular for European elections. In a similar vein, the European Parliament has recently proposed to reform the EU electoral law and made proposals to include transnational lists in the next European elections. The Commission will support the European Parliament in securing an agreement on the electoral law in the Council.

Responding to the calls from the Conference participants for the setting up of online consultation platforms, the Commission’s Have Your Say portal will become a one-stop-shop for online citizen engagement, bringing together all information on citizens’ engagement mechanisms running in the Commission. This new online hub will integrate key features of the Conference’s multilingual digital platform: direct exchanges between citizens, commenting – in all EU official languages thanks to eTranslation – but also online polls and hosting online participatory events. It will form the basis for a new ecosystem of democratic engagement and innovation.

The Multilingual Digital Platform enabled participants to share and deliberate on their ideas with just a few clicks, as well as provide a home for the many events taking place across Europe under the umbrella of the Conference. By May 2022, close to 5 million individual visitors had visited the Multilingual Digital Platform and there were over 750,000 participants, 18,000 ideas debated, and over 6,500 events.

Building on this success, the Commission will enable Citizens Panels to deliberate and make recommendations ahead of certain key proposals, as part of its wider policy making and in line with Better Regulation principles. Depending on the issue, these can either be pan-European or smaller targeted panels to address specific policy issues. As was the case in the Conference, participants should be randomly selected. But they should also reflect Europe’s diversity and demography. Young people should form a third of the participants. Where appropriate, a ‘citizen report’ will be integrated in the impact assessment, summarising the outcomes of these participatory and deliberative processes. When all participants are young people, this would be dubbed a ‘youth test’. The first of this new generation of Citizens Panels will be launched in the context of the 2022 State of the Union address.

A central and particularly innovative feature of the Conference was the European Citizens' Panels. A total of some 800 randomly selected citizens, a third of which were young people, met for three deliberative sessions each and made recommendations. A number of Member States organised National Citizens' Panels based on the same principles.

A number of the Conference’s innovations provide a guide as to how better include citizens in priority and ambition setting, as well as in designing and making policies at the European level. Building on the Conference, and on its own existing tools, the Commission will propose ways to ensure citizens are given this closer role in EU policymaking.

Beyond the quality and quantity of policy proposals and its impetus for reform, the Conference also gave a snapshot of how a European public space can flourish and how our democracy can be enriched, at European, national, regional and local level, by involving citizens. It brought about hundreds of “town hall” or “coffee shop” style deliberations and discussions in every corner of Europe. New deliberative formats – such as the multilingual digital platform, the European Citizens’ Panels – enabled Europeans to share their ideas on the issues they considered important to build the future of our Union. And it sought the views of the hardest to reach, those who rarely engage with politics or perhaps have not voted in previous European elections.

3.THE FUTURE: PUTTING CITIZENS AT THE HEART OF EUROPEAN DEMOCRACY

In this spirit, the Commission welcomes the European Parliament’s willingness to use, for the first time, its powers acquired under the Lisbon Treaty to propose amendments to the Treaties. The Parliament has set out a number of areas where in its view changes to the Treaties should be discussed within a Convention. The Commission stands ready to fully play its institutional role in the procedure set out in Article 48 of the Treaty on European Union, and in particular to give its opinion in response to a consultation by the European Council.

The Conference has created a new momentum to focus on renewing and improving the European project, building on its foundations and updating them where necessary. As outlined by President von der Leyen in her speech to the Conference, the Commission will always be on the side of those who want to reform the European Union to make it work better, including through Treaty change where that may be necessary.

However, some of the ideas set out by the Conference are truly innovative, calling on the EU to take new, as yet unexplored, avenues. Within these, some proposals explicitly call for treaty change. This includes areas such as health or defence.

There is also untapped potential within the existing Treaties which could help respond to the Conference’s proposals, notably by using the ‘passerelle clauses’ to move to qualified majority voting in certain policy fields. This was explicitly called for by President von der Leyen in her Political Guidelines and State of the Union address, in areas such as energy, taxation, and for important aspects of the Common Foreign and Security Policy such as sanctions and human rights.

In following up to these proposals, new reforms and policies should not be mutually exclusive to discussions on Treaty change. Treaty change should not be an end in itself and for the vast majority of measures, there is much that can and will need to be done under the existing treaties. Just like constitutional texts of the Member States, the EU treaties are living instruments. The EU institutions and the Member States have agreed throughout this Commission’s mandate to use the full potential of the EU treaties, when procuring billions of vaccines for citizens across Europe, or kickstarting the economy of the future through NextGenerationEU. In that time, the EU has also set an ambitious and legally binding path to climate neutrality, redesigned the rules of the game in the digital world and supported small businesses in retaining their staff during the pandemic through the SURE programme. All of this work was made possible due to political will shown by the institutions working in sync, in order to respond to the urgent nature of the challenges.

Treaties: Making the most of what we have, changing if we need

The first set of new proposals will be announced in President von der Leyen’s State of the Union address in September 2022, as well as in the accompanying Letter of Intent. These proposals will be amongst those to be included in the 2023 Commission Work Programme. Some should also feature in the joint legislative priorities agreed between the EU institutions and future Commission Work Programmes.

It should also be noted that there are also many areas which require the Commission to take non-legislative action, either because of limited legislative competence or because it is the best way to reach the desired outcome. Equally, not all the proposals are within the Commission’s competence to take forward, and some may be best initiated by the other EU institutions, by Member States or by local and regional authorities.

The assessment shows a clear direction and identifies areas where the Commission will need to make proposals. The Commission will do so in the most pragmatic way possible, whether through legislation or otherwise. It will make full use of its right of initiative under the Treaties, with due regard for the subsidiarity and proportionality principles and better law-making rules. This includes evaluating the probable impact of the policy options at hand, ensuring that no negative consequences might arise and examining at which level decision-making is the most effective.

Finally, the fourth area is where proposals made by the Conference are partly or wholly new and require new initiatives or proposals to be made by the Commission. The areas in which the Conference has proposed new work include a greater focus on improving understanding of mental health issues and proposals to better address them across Europe. Other recommendations focus on nutrition and food security, as well as improving information on the eco-footprint and animal welfare track-record of products. A coordinated European approach to the monitoring of the darknet, as well as a stronger focus on cryptocurrency mining, are also put forward.

The third category includes those areas where the Commission is already planning to make proposals and will take into account the suggestions made by the Conference. This includes, the Media Freedom Act which will aim to safeguard the pluralism and independence of the media in the EU internal market, and a legislative proposal to strengthen our supply of raw materials critical to the twin transitions or the new European Innovation Agenda. Or the legislative framework which will aim to accelerate and make the transition to sustainable food systems easier. In the coming weeks and months, the Commission will also make proposals that respond directly to some of the proposals, whether on restoring our nature or banning products made by forced labour from entering the EU market.

The second category is where proposals have been made by the Commission and the co-legislators are currently working. In some cases, this provides added impetus to speed up the legislative work, for example on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, the Artificial Intelligence Act, or initiatives to strengthen the circular economy in areas such as batteries, or sustainable products. It also includes the proposals made under the Fit for 55 package, which are essential to meet Europe’s climate targets and also reduce its energy dependence. Or our initiative to boost the EU’s resilience and tech sovereignty through measures such as the Chips Act.

The first category is where the Commission is already implementing initiatives which directly responds to the proposals. This could include, for example, the European Climate Law, where legislation to enshrine EU climate targets into law has already come into force. Or the Digital Services Act which will ensure that the online environment remains a safe space, safeguarding freedom of expression and opportunities for digital businesses. It also includes the establishment of HERA, the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, to help Europe better prepare and react to cross-border health threats. Or the historic agreements that have been reached on minimum wages and women on boards. It also includes concrete initiatives to strengthen Europe’s international partnerships and global role, for instance through the Global Gateway strategy to invest in smart, clean and secure infrastructure around the world, in line with EU values.

The annex sets out four categories of responses: existing initiatives that address the proposals; those where the European Parliament and the Council are called upon to adopt; planned actions which will deliver on the ideas, building in new reflections from the Conference; and new initiatives or areas of work inspired by the proposals, falling within the remit of the Commission.

In order to follow up in the most transparent and direct way on the Conference proposals, a first analysis is needed to see what is necessary to implement them. For this assessment to be credible, it is essential to stick to the spirit and the letter of what is proposed – without any re-interpretation or selection. This is what is set out in the Annex to this Communication. The 49 proposals are divided up into the same thematic areas chosen by the Conference, with the Commission’s assessment set out under each area.

Across the board, the proposals call for Europe to focus on delivering social protections and fairness, while upholding its values and the rule of law. They highlight the need for Europe to pool its strength and diversity to tackle the biggest issues of our generation – from pandemics and war to twin green and digital transitions or demographic change. Finally, a strong recurring theme across the different areas is the need for Europe to be more independent and better able to provide for itself in vital areas from energy and sustainable food, materials and medicines, to digital chips and green technologies, cybersecurity, security and defence. Taken together, the measures proposed by the Conference call for Europe to be more active in areas that matter collectively or individually to people.

Behind the numbers and between the lines of these concrete suggestions is a vision of a Europe that makes people’s everyday lives easier - in rural or urban areas - that tackles our generational challenges head on and that ultimately delivers on what matters the most to people. From the food they eat, to the air they breathe and the nature that they enjoy. From having access to affordable healthcare, education and housing to feeling safe and secure within those schools and homes.

Throughout a year of events, citizens’ panel discussions and ideas collected online crystallised into 49 proposals and 326 specific measures, structured around nine themes:

The Conference: many proposals, one vision

The Conference proposals, set out in the final report handed over to the Presidents of the European Parliament, Council and European Commission are wide-ranging, ambitious and forward-looking. They are structured around nine broad themes, with natural overlaps between some of the measures proposed.

2.THE FOLLOW UP: FROM PROPOSALS TO ACTION

This Communication is the first step in doing so. It offers an assessment of what is needed to follow up to the Conference’s proposals, gives an overview of the next steps and sets out how best to learn the lessons for the Conference and embed participative democracy into the EU’s policy and law making.

While the Conference has delivered in both quantity and quality of proposals, its success will ultimately hinge on the change that it can deliver. In this spirit, the European Commission, along with both the European Parliament and Council, all committed in the Joint Declaration of March 2021 to following up on what was proposed - each within the framework of their competences and in accordance with the Treaties. President von der Leyen repeated this commitment at the Conference closing ceremony on 9 May 2022.

This was exemplified by the way citizens and institutions, lawmakers and laypersons debated the fundamental issues of our time and proposed a number of solutions in areas that will define the future of Europe: from climate change and the environment, to digitalisation and democracy, health and social justice and equality, economy and security, values and culture – and much more besides. Inevitably, the outcome was also shaped by today’s context and in particular the collision of crises which Europe has had to face in the last two years. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our health and economies was reflected in all topics, while Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war on Ukraine gave poignant emphasis to the need for a stronger Europe in the world, ready to uphold peace and values as it has for more than 70 years.

In doing so, the Conference and its participants reflected both the value and the need to better involve citizens in shaping the policies that affect their lives. It breathed new life into the way Europe’s layered democracy works and showed the potential of a real European public space for people across the Union to engage on what matters most to them.

The Conference on the Future of Europe, which kicked off on Europe Day 2021 and ran for one year, was an unprecedented pan-European exercise in deliberative democracy - the largest and broadest of its kind ever seen. It connected people of all ages, countries and backgrounds, many of whom had never engaged with Europe or had not been familiar with the European Union’s institutional make-up. They all brought their different stories and perspectives, their different languages and identities to set out their expectations of Europe and to weave together a vision of its future.

It has long been said that the European Union moves faster and further when it has to. The oft-quoted line of Jean Monnet that the Union will be “forged in crises and will be the sum of the solutions adopted for those crises” has rung true for much of the EU’s history – not least in the last two years as we have collectively faced up to a global pandemic and a brutal war of aggression on our doorstep. At the same time, there have been growing calls by European citizens for change and reform, and to work on improving Europe on their own terms. This is why President von der Leyen called for a Conference on the Future of Europe in her Political Guidelines of July 2019, as part of a vision for a new push for European democracy – and committed to following up on its results.

President von der Leyen, 9 May 2022, Conference on the Future of Europe closing ceremony

“For Europe, the memory of our past has always framed our future. And that is all the more important at a time when the unthinkable has returned to our continent. Russia's flagrant attempts to redraw maps and rewrite even the most tragic parts of our history have reminded us of the dangers of losing our grip on both our past and our future. Of living in a perpetual present and thinking that things can never be different. That there cannot be better ways of doing things. And even worse: That things will always stay the same if only we do not change. That is so wrong! Standing still is falling back.”

CONFERENCE ON THE FUTURE OF EUROPE Putting Vision into Concrete Action

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 17.6.2022 COM(2022) 404 final ANNEX

to the COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS CONFERENCE ON THE FUTURE OF EUROPE







Putting Vision into Concrete Action



ANNEX This Annex sets out a non-exhaustive list of legislation and other initiatives through which the Commission is delivering, or will deliver, on the proposals and measures resulting from the Conference on the Future of Europe and which fall within the Commission’s competence. The Commission will develop its planned actions and legislative proposals inspired by the Conference proposals in full respect of its better regulation standards as well as the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, and with due regard to financial limitations under the current multiannual budget. It will also endeavour to ensure that proposed initiatives are accompanied by robust communication actions and campaigns, with a view to engaging with citizens on EU policy action, and on how it impacts and benefits them in their daily lives. For each of the nine Conference topics, the Annex lists the Conference proposals and identifies relevant: ‣actions already proposed or launched by the von der Leyen Commission; ‣proposed legislation that it calls on the European Parliament and/or Council to adopt; ‣planned actions and legislation; ‣new areas for action inspired by the Conference. Within each section, the order of the Commission’s initiatives follows the sequence of the Conference proposals and measures. Where an EU initiative or law spans several of the Conference topics, it is listed only once, under the most relevant Conference proposal. For example, REPowerEU touches on ideas raised in Stronger economy, social justice and jobs and Climate change and the environment but primarily concerns energy autonomy, so is listed under EU in the World. Not only legal acts but also communication tools and programmes are included in the Annex. While many of the proposals of the Conference are in line with actions and legislation that is planned by the Commission, the Conference’s proposals will feed into the preparations of these planned actions and proposals. The outcome of the Conference will not only inspire new areas for reflection for the Commission, but it will enrich its thinking on actions, and legislative and non-legislative proposals currently in the planning phase. A wide range of funds and other support mechanisms help put the EU’s policies into action. Many of these are cross-cutting and cover actions in several of the Conference topics. The main ones are: ‣Recovery and Resilience Facility; ‣European Regional Development Fund; ‣European Social Fund Plus;

‣Cohesion Fund (supports investments in the fields of environment and transport, including infrastructure); ‣Just Transition Mechanism including the Just Transition Fund (supports territories most affected by the transition towards climate neutrality); ‣European Union Solidarity Fund; ‣State aid Temporary Frameworks; ‣Innovation and Modernisation Funds; ‣Connecting Europe Facility (promotes growth, jobs and competitiveness through targeted infrastructure investment in transport, energy and digital services); ‣Digital Europe programme; ‣Erasmus Plus; ‣European Solidarity Corps; ‣Creative Europe with I-Portunus, Culture Moves Europe and Music Moves Europe supporting the mobility of artists, creators and cultural professionals; ‣European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development; ‣European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund; ‣Horizon Europe programme for research and innovation; ‣EU4Health Programme; ‣Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund; ‣Justice programme; ‣Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme; ‣Internal Security Fund; ‣Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe; ‣Technical Support Instrument (provides support and expertise to Member States to help design and implement reforms, including in climate action, digital transition and health).





1. CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE ENVIRONMENT The Conference resulted in six proposals that will help the EU lead on climate change and the environment . 1.Agriculture, food production, biodiversity and ecosystems, pollution - Safe, sustainable, just, climate responsible, and affordable production of food, respecting sustainability principles, the environment, safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystems, while ensuring food security: 2.Agriculture, food production, biodiversity and ecosystems, pollution - Protect and restore biodiversity, the landscape and oceans, and eliminate pollution; 3.Climate change, energy, transport - Enhance European energy security, and achieve the EU’s energy independence while ensuring a just transition, and providing Europeans with sufficient, affordable and sustainable energy. Tackle climate change, with the EU playing a role of global leader in sustainable energy policy, and respecting the global climate goals; 4.Climate change, energy, transport - Provide high quality, modern, green, and safe infrastructure, ensuring connectivity, including of rural and island regions, in particular through affordable public transport 5.Sustainable consumption, packaging and production - Enhance the use and management of materials within the EU in order to become more circular, more autonomous, and less dependent. Build a circular economy by promoting sustainable EU products and production. Ensure all products placed on the EU market comply with common EU environmental standards; 6.Information, awareness, dialogue and life style - Foster knowledge, awareness, education, and dialogues on environment, climate change, energy use, and sustainability. To deliver on the Conference proposals, the Commission: has already put forward: ‣European Green Deal; ‣Farm to Fork Strategy, which aims to make food systems fair, healthy and environmentally friendly; ‣Reformed common agricultural policy; ‣Zero Pollution Action Plan; ‣Circular Economy Action Plan; ‣EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030; ‣EU Forest Strategy for 2030; ‣Pledge to plant 3 billion trees by 2030 and the MapMyTree-counter application; ‣Sustainable Blue Economy Communication; ‣Horizon Europe Mission on Oceans; ‣Action plan on organic farming; ‣European Climate Law; ‣EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability;

‣Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy; ‣Solar Strategy; ‣Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy; ‣Regulation on sustainability taxonomy in the energy sector; ‣Crisis contingency plan for the transport sector; ‣European partnerships, for example for rescuing biodiversity, for Clean Energy Transition, for ‘Clean Aviation’, for ‘Europe’s Rail’, for connected, cooperative and automated mobility, for ‘Clean Hydrogen’, for batteries, towards zero-emission road transport, for climate neutral energy intensive industries ‘Processes4Planet’; ‣EU Missions mobilising institutions and citizens on making 100 cities climate-neutral and smart as well as restoring our ocean and waters by 2030, adapting to climate change by making 150 regions and communities climate-resilient and creating 100 living labs and lighthouses towards healthy soils in Europe; ‣Mainstreaming the “do no significant harm” principle and ambitious targets for climate-related expenditure under the multiannual financial framework and NextGenerationEU; ‣LIFE Clean Energy Transition and Climate Action sub-programmes; ‣Decision on the European Year of Rail; ‣Action plan on long-distance and cross-border rail; ‣Renovation Wave initiative; ‣Revision of the Industrial Emissions Directive and the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register; ‣Revision of sustainable urban mobility plans under the 2021 Urban Mobility Framework; ‣Commission Recommendation on energy poverty; ‣European Research Area: green hydrogen pilot action; ‣Communication ‘Sustainable Carbon Cycles’ with several actions including an ‘Integrated Bioeconomy Land Use Assessment’ in support of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy; ‣Clean Hydrogen Alliance, which aims to promote investments and stimulate the roll-out of clean hydrogen production and use; ‣Transition pathways to help different ecosystems become more resilient, green and digital; ‣Communication ‘Our waste, our responsibility’;

‣European Climate Pact; ‣New European Bauhaus; ‣EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles; ‣EU strategy on adaptation to climate change; ‣Just Transition Platform; ‣Code of conduct for businesses operating in the food area, aimed at helping to build a socially responsible food value chain that reduces the EU’s environmental and climate footprint; ‣Recommendation on ensuring a fair transition towards climate neutrality; ‣Guidelines on State aid for climate, environmental protection and energy, and for the Emissions Trading System; calls on the European Parliament and/or the Council to adopt without delay: ‣Fit for 55 package to make the EU's climate, energy, land use, transport and taxation policies fit for reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030; oCarbon Border Adjustment Mechanism; oRevision of the Energy Taxation Directive to update the minimum tax rates for fuels and energy products; oEnergy Efficiency Directive with a higher target of 13% (from 9%); oLand Use, Land Use Change and Forestry Regulation; oRevision of the Regulation setting CO2 emission performance standards for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles; oProposal to review the Waste Shipment Regulation; oRecast of Renewable Energy Directive with the higher target of 45% (from 40%); oRevised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive; oSocial Climate Fund;

oRevision of Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation; oFuelEU Maritime; oRefuelEU Aviation; oDecarbonised gas and hydrogen package; oEmissions Trading System, including its extension to buildings and road transport; oRevised Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulation; oRegulation on ozone-depleting substances; ‣Sustainable Products Initiative; ‣Fitness check of the polluter pays principle; ‣Revision of the TEN-T Regulation, improving the quality of the EU rail network to ensure high standards across the core TEN-T network by 2030 and new standards across the extended network by 2040; ‣Industrial Emissions Directive; ‣Regulation on Deforestation and Forest Degradation; ‣Regulation establishing a framework for setting Ecodesign requirements for sustainable products, including Digital Product Passports; ‣Empowering consumers for the green transition; ‣Revision of the Construction Products Regulation to ensure that the regulatory framework in place is fit for making the built environment deliver on our sustainability and climate objectives; ‣Proposal for a new Regulation on waste shipments; intends to table proposals on: ‣Introduction of food waste reduction targets; ‣Green claims for labels based on footprint methods; ‣Legislation on sustainable food systems (including sustainable food labelling);

‣Guidelines on the antitrust derogation for sustainability agreements in agriculture; ‣Action plan to conserve fisheries resources and protect marine ecosystems; ‣Joint Communication on the EU’s international ocean governance agenda; ‣Update of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive; ‣Revision of the maximum residue limits for certain pesticides as regards imported food taking into account environmental aspects of global concern; ‣Revision of the data requirements, approval criteria and assessment principles for microorganisms to facilitate their access to the market in low-risk plant protection products; ‣Legislation for binding EU nature restoration targets; ‣Carbon removal certification; ‣Policy framework for bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics; ‣Legislative proposal on animal welfare including to phase out, and finally prohibit, the use of cage systems for an expanded range of animals following the successful ‘End the Cage Age’ European Citizens’ Initiative; ‣Review of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, which aims to protect the marine ecosystem and biodiversity; ‣Review of the mandate of the European Maritime Safety Agency; ‣Revision of the Directive on ship-source pollution; ‣Revision of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive; ‣Revised list of surface and groundwater pollutants; ‣Guidelines to support implementation of the Water Reuse Regulation; ‣Revision of ambient air quality legislation to help apply the polluter pays principle; ‣Revision of EU pollinators initiative to better protect insects; ‣Measures to reduce the unintentional release of microplastics in the environment; ‣Communication on revamping the Strategic Energy Technology Plan;

‣Multimodal digital mobility services, to better integrate public transport and rail services and facilitate digital journey-planning; ‣CountEmissionsEU in the field of transport; ‣Revision of the Air Services Regulation and Slots Regulation; ‣Alliance on Zero Emissions Aviation to accelerate the transition to carbon-neutral flight; ‣Greening freight package, including proposal on heavy duty vehicles; ‣Legislation on forest observation, reporting and a data collection framework; ‣Review of the Waste Framework Directive, also to prevent waste, to harmonise waste collection systems and to create harmonised EU extended producer responsibility rules for textiles with eco-modulation of fees; ‣Customs reform that will seek to take the Customs Union to the next level, equipping it with a stronger framework to better protect EU citizens and the single market; ‣Soil Health Law; ‣Initiative on substantiating green claims; ‣Review of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, including possible action on refund schemes; ‣Initiative on sustainable consumption of goods to address planned obsolescence and the right of repair; ‣Extension of producer responsibility schemes, providing incentives and encouraging sharing of information and good practices in waste recycling; ‣Single Use Plastics – Implementing Decision laying down rules for the calculation, verification and reporting of recycled content in single-use plastic beverage bottles; ‣Euro7 emissions standards for cars, vans, lorries and buses; ‣Strategic Foresight report on twinning the green and digital transitions in a new geopolitical context; will consider new areas of action, such as: ‣Legislation for plants produced by certain new genomic techniques; ‣Animal welfare standards for imported goods;

‣Options for animal welfare labelling; ‣Guidance on sector-specific application of the energy efficiency first principle; ‣EU-wide assessment of draft updated national energy and climate plans; ‣Enhancing private financing for energy efficiency; ‣Tackling the environmental impact of waste management; ‣Measures to limit light pollution; ‣Further promoting cycling infrastructure and car-free zones (Urban Vehicle Access regulations); ‣Action Plan to promote the energy transition of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors; ‣Legislative proposal on increasing the share of zero-emission vehicles in public and corporate car fleets above a certain size; ‣Assessing the need for an EU-wide exemption of international rail tickets from VAT to significantly reduce the cost to rail passengers.



2. HEALTH The Conference resulted in four proposals on health : 7.Healthy food and healthy lifestyle – Ensure that all Europeans have access to education on healthy food and access to healthy and affordable food, as a building block of a healthy lifestyle 8.Reinforce the healthcare system - Reinforce the resilience and quality of our healthcare systems 9.A broader understanding of Health - Adopt a holistic approach to health, addressing, beyond diseases and cures, health literacy and prevention, and fostering a shared understanding of the challenges faced by those who are ill or disabled, in line with the “One Health Approach”, which should be emphasized as a horizontal and fundamental principle encompassing all EU policies 10.Equal access to health for all - Establish a “right to health” by guaranteeing all Europeans have equal and universal access to affordable, preventive, curative and quality health care. To deliver on the Conference proposals, the Commission: has already put forward: ‣Chemicals strategy for sustainability to boost innovation for safe and sustainable chemicals, and increase protection of human health and the environment against hazardous chemicals; ‣Organic Action Plan and accompanying legislative package;

‣Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, including 10 flagship initiatives; ‣Horizon Europe Mission on Cancer: working with Europe's Beating Cancer Plan to improve the lives of more than 3 million people by 2030; ‣Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe; ‣Country specific recommendations in the field of health under the European Semester, the annual cycle of economic policy coordination; ‣Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA); ‣Regulation on a reinforced role for the European Medicines Agency in crisis preparedness and management for medicinal products and medical devices; ‣European Partnerships, for example for One Health/antimicrobial resistance, on fostering a European Research Area for Health Research, on transforming health and care systems, and for pandemic preparedness; ‣Updated VAT rules, including expanded list of VAT-exempted products and services for public health; ‣Healthier Together initiative to help Member States to identify and implement effective policies and actions to reduce the burden of major non-communicable diseases, including mental health; ‣Code of Conduct on responsible food business and marketing practices; ‣Structured Dialogue on security of supply of medicines to strengthen the resilience of pharmaceutical supply chains and ensure the security of supply, without compromising affordability; ‣European Open Science Cloud, to provide dedicated platforms (such as the European COVID-19 Data Platform) to share medical research, clinical and genomic data; ‣Manifesto for EU COVID-19 research to maximise the accessibility of research results in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemics; ‣Regulation extending the mandate of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control; ‣Regulation on a framework of measures for ensuring the supply of crisis-relevant medical countermeasures in the event of a public health emergency at Union level; ‣Mandatory minimum criteria for sustainable food procurement in schools and public institutions; ‣Revision of the blood, tissues and cells legal framework; ‣Tax incentives with the Member States to promote healthy eating; calls on the European Parliament and/or the Council to adopt without delay:

‣Regulation on serious cross-border threats to health; ‣Regulation on the European Health Data Space, that aims to improve healthcare delivery across the EU, empower people to control their health data, enable secure access by health professionals to individual electronic “patient summaries” (European individual electronic health passport); offer a consistent, secure, trustworthy and efficient framework for the use of health data; intends to table proposals on: ‣Revision of the Food Information to Consumers Regulation, including a harmonised mandatory front-of-pack nutritional labelling in order to empower consumers to make informed, healthy and sustainable food choices; ‣Recommendation for Safe and Sustainable by Design materials and chemicals to provide industry and regulators guidance to make new materials and chemicals; ‣Revised pharmaceutical legislation ensuring faster access to quality, safe, affordable and greener medicines in all Member States; ‣Revised legislation on medicines for rare diseases and children; ‣Action plan for the better management of nutrients; ‣Recommendation on vaccine-preventable cancers; ‣Update of the Recommendation on cancer screening; ‣Innovative approaches to research and public procurement for antimicrobials and their alternatives; ‣New action to facilitate the exchange and transplant of kidneys for specific recipients and donors under the 2023 EU4Health work programme; ‣New Global Health Strategy; will consider new areas of action, such as: ‣Digital and front-of-pack labelling on the product’s eco-footprint; ‣;Ways to increase participation in the European Public Health Week; ‣Patents Package, including initiative on supplementary protection certificates and compulsory licensing of patents; ‣Measures to address the marketing and advertising of products linked to cancer risks; ‣Effects of smoke-free legislation; ‣New comprehensive approach to mental health.





3. STRONGER ECONOMY, SOCIAL JUSTICE AND JOBS The Conference resulted in six broad proposals to build a stronger EU economy, social justice and jobs : 11.Sustainable Growth and innovation – We propose that the EU supports the shift to a sustainable and resilient growth model, considering the green and digital transitions with a strong social dimension in the European Semester, and empowering citizens, trade unions and businesses. The conventional macroeconomic indicators and the GDP could be complemented with new indicators in order to address the new European priorities such as the European Green Deal or the European Pillar of Social Rights and to better reflect the ecological and digital transitions and the wellbeing of people; 12.Enhancing EU’s competitiveness and further deepening the Single Market – We propose strengthening the competitiveness and resilience of the European Union’s economy, single market, industry and addressing strategic dependencies. We need to promote an entrepreneurial culture in the EU, where innovative businesses of all sizes, and in particular Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), as well as start-ups are encouraged and can thrive in order to contribute to more resilient and cohesive societies. There is a need for a strong functioning market economy in order to facilitate the vision of a more social Europe; 13.Inclusive labour markets – We propose to improve the functioning of labour markets so that they ensure fairer working conditions and promote gender equality, employment, including that of young people and vulnerable groups. The EU, Member States and social partners need to work to end in-work poverty, address the rights of platform workers, ban un-paid internships and ensure fair labour mobility in the EU. We must promote social dialogue and collective bargaining. We need to ensure the full implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, including its relevant headline targets for 2030, at EU, national, regional and local level in the areas of “equal opportunities and access to the labour market” and “fair working conditions”, while respecting competences and the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality and to include a Social Progress Protocol in the Treaties. While doing so, there should be a respect of national traditions and the autonomy of social partners and a cooperation with civil society; 14.Stronger social policies – We propose to reduce inequalities, fight social exclusion and tackle poverty. We need to put in place a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy that could include, among other, a reinforced Child Guarantee and Youth Guarantee, the introduction of minimum wages, a common EU framework for minimum income schemes and decent social housing. We need to ensure the full implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, including its relevant headline targets for 2030, at EU, national, regional and local level in the area of “social protection and inclusion” with due regard for respective competences and the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality and to include a Social Progress Protocol in the Treaties; 15.Demographic transition – We propose to address the challenges arising from the demographic transition, as a critical ingredient of Europe’s overall resilience, in particular low birth rates and a steadily ageing population, by ensuring support to people throughout the lifecycle. This should involve comprehensive action aimed at all generations, from children and young people, to families, to the working-age population, to older persons who are still prepared to work as well as those in retirement or need of care; 16.Fiscal and tax policies – We propose that the EU promotes future-oriented investments focused on the green and digital transitions with a strong social and gender dimension, taking also into account the examples of the Next Generation EU and the SURE instrument. The EU needs to take into account the social and economic impact of the war against Ukraine and the link between the EU economic governance with the new geopolitical context and by strengthening its own budget through new own resources. Citizens want to move away taxation from people and SMEs and target tax evaders, big polluters and by taxing the digital giants while at the same time they want to see the EU supporting Member States’ and local authorities’ ability to finance themselves and as well as in using EU funds. To deliver on the Conference proposals, the Commission: has already put forward: ‣Social Economy Action Plan smoothing the way for social economy organisations to prosper and grow; ‣Revision of the Directive on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of radio equipment; ‣Communication on Competition Policy - Fit for new challenges; ‣Updated Industrial Strategy and the launch of Alliances in the area of raw materials, clean hydrogen, battery, circular plastics, industrial data, edge and cloud, semiconductor technologies, renewable and low-carbon fuels, zero-emission aviation, solar, and EU Start-up Nations Standard fostering entrepreneurship through Alliances; ‣Review of the Vertical Block Exemption Regulations and guidelines; ‣State Aid Modernisation Fitness Check; ‣Short-term export credit insurance Communication; ‣Revision of Regional Aid Guidelines; ‣Review of the Communication on important projects of common European Interest; ‣European instrument for temporary Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE); ‣Revision of State aid framework for research, development and innovation; ‣Integration of Sustainable Development Goals in the European Semester framework;

‣A Transitions Performance Index ranking countries according to their progress towards sustainability; ‣European Partnerships, for example Made in Europe, on key digital technologies, and on smart networks and services; ‣Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work; ‣European Innovation Council, a flagship programme to identify, develop and scale up breakthrough technologies and game-changing innovations; ‣Fit for Future Platform, a high-level expert group to help simplify EU laws and to reduce related unnecessary costs; ‣European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan; ‣Reinforced Youth Guarantee; ‣European Skills Agenda helping individuals and businesses develop more and better skills to put them to use, including a Pact for Skills; ‣ALMA (aim, learn, master, achieve) initiative to help the most vulnerable young people with fewer opportunities, to enable them to find their way to the job market and in society within their home country; ‣Horizon Europe eligibility criterion for public bodies, research organisations and higher education institutions to have a Gender Equality Plan in place; ‣Women TechEU, a new initiative to fund and support women-led start-ups; ‣STE(A)M manifesto for gender-responsive STEAM education as mentioned in the EU strategy for universities; ‣Rural Pact – strengthened governance for EU rural areas; ‣European platform on combatting homelessness; ‣European Child Guarantee ensuring that every child in Europe at risk of poverty or social exclusion has access to key services like healthcare, childcare, education, nutrition and housing; ‣Directive on adequate minimum wages; ‣High-Level Group on the future of social protection and of the welfare state in the EU; ‣SME tests in impact assessments; ‣A new European Framework for Researchers’ careers: to join forces at national and European level to strengthen researchers’ skills and inter-sectoral mobility, and to foster a balanced circulation of talents; ‣Remedial actions, in order to reduce the innovation divide and build R&I capacity in countries lagging behind;

‣Green Paper on Ageing; ‣Commission Recommendation for Effective Active Support to Employment; ‣Directive on improving the gender balance among non-executive directors of companies listed on stock exchanges and related measures; ‣Communication on an action plan for fair and simple taxation supporting the recovery strategy; ‣Directive amending rates of value added tax, including reduced VAT on children’s equipment; calls on the European Parliament and/or the Council to adopt without delay: ‣Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence to foster sustainable and responsible corporate behaviour throughout global value chains; ‣Directive on corporate sustainability reporting; ‣Directive on improving working conditions in platform work; ‣Directive to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms; ‣Proposal on new own resources; ‣Revision of the Regulations on social security coordination; ‣Directive ensuring a global minimum level of taxation for multinational groups in the Union; ‣Regulation on the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money-laundering and terrorist financing; intends to table proposals on: ‣Economic Governance Review; ‣Recommendation on minimum income; ‣Recommendation on knowledge valorisation;

‣Amendment of the Asbestos at Work Directive; ‣European Innovation Agenda addressing key bottlenecks for maximum impact of EU policy initiatives and instruments supporting innovation; ‣Review of the Horizontal Block Exemption Regulations and guidelines that clarify for businesses when they can cooperate with rivals; ‣Review of the Market Definition Notice; ‣Merger control in the EU – further simplification of procedures; ‣Review of the De Minimis Regulation; ‣Guidelines about collective agreements regarding the working conditions of solo self-employed people; ‣Digital euro; ‣Scope and effects of legal tender of euro banknotes and coins; ‣Report on essential services; ‣Report on the implementation of the Working Time Directive; ‣Guidance on Distributional Impact Assessment; ‣Package to improve the labour market outcomes for persons with disabilities; ‣Open finance framework; ‣Review of EU rules on payment services; ‣Retail investment strategy and legislative package; ‣Business in Europe: Framework for Income Taxation (BEFIT); ‣Initiative for tackling the role of enablers involved in facilitating tax evasion and aggressive tax planning; ‣Directive on the implementation of the OECD global agreement on re-allocation of taxing rights; ‣Pilot on the European Social Security Pass (ESSPASS);

‣Initiative on social dialogue; ‣Application, enforcement and awareness raising on EU rights on work-life balance, including parental leave; ‣Communication on Brain Drain and an accompanying initiative to enhance brain gain; ‣Recommendation on developing social economy framework conditions; ‣European Care Strategy, accompanied by a proposal for the revision of the Barcelona targets on early childhood education and care and a proposal for a Council Recommendation on long-term care; ‣Second basket of new own resources; ‣Review of the Council Recommendation on a quality framework for traineeships; will consider new areas of action, such as: ‣Measures to support regions in development traps experiencing persistent low growth; ‣Further work to make industry sustainable, digital and resilient, and to address dependencies; ‣Addressing the demographic transition, notably on ageing and depopulation; ‣An integrated approach to measuring and monitoring wellbeing beyond GDP; ‣Further expand and upgrade the use of digital tools and processes in company law.

4. EU IN THE WORLD The Conference resulted in eight broad proposals on the EU in the world : 17.Reducing dependency of EU from foreign actors in economically strategic sectors – We propose that the EU take measures to strengthen its autonomy in key strategic sectors such as agricultural products, strategic economic goods, semiconductors, medical products, innovative digital and environmental technologies and energy; 18.Reducing dependency of EU from foreign actors in energy – We propose that the EU reach more autonomy in the field of energy production and supply, in the context of the ongoing green transition; 19.Defining standards within and outside the EU in trade and investment relations – We propose that the EU strengthen the ethical dimension of its trade and investment relations; 20.Defining standards within and outside the EU in environmental policies – We propose that the EU strengthen the environmental dimension of its trade relations; 21.Decision making and cohesion within the Union – We propose that the EU improve its capacity to take speedy and effective decisions, notably in Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), speaking with one voice and acting as a truly global player, projecting a positive role in the world and making a difference in response to any crisis; 22.Transparency of the EU and its relations with the citizens – We propose that the EU, in particular in its actions at the international level, including trade negotiations, improve its accessibility for citizens through better information, education, citizen participation, and transparency of its action; 23.The EU as a strong actor on the world scene in peace and security – We propose that the EU continue to act to promote dialogue and guarantee peace and a rules-based international order, strengthening multilateralism and building on long standing EU peace initiatives which contributed to its award of the Nobel Prize in 2012, while strengthening its common security; 24.The EU as a strong actor on the world scene in relationship building – We propose that the EU should, in its relations with third countries, be a strong actor on the world scene in relationship building. To deliver on the Conference proposals, the Commission: has already put forward:

‣Urban Mobility Framework; ‣New State aid temporary crisis framework; ‣Initiative for coal regions in transition in the Western Balkans and Ukraine; ‣Support measures to rebuild Ukraine’s research and innovation ecosystem; ‣Western Balkans agenda for Research, Innovation, Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, launched by the EU Member States and the Western Balkans economies; ‣EU Strategy international cooperation for research and innovation, Global Approach in R&I, including the association to Horizon Europe to like-minded partners across the globe; ‣Strategy for EU external energy engagement in a changing world; ‣Arctic Strategy; ‣Africa Strategy; ‣Global Gateway; ‣EU Gender Action Plan III; ‣Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy; ‣Communication on decent work worldwide, with a particular focus on eliminating child labour and forced labour; ‣EU Standardisation Strategy; ‣Strategic Compass for security and defence; ‣Communication on joint defence procurement; ‣Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans; ‣Green Agenda for the Western Balkans; ‣Just Energy Transition partnership with South Africa; ‣Green Partnership between Morocco and the EU;

‣Economic and Investment Plan for the Southern Neighbourhood; ‣Green Alliance with Japan; ‣Joint Communication on a ‘Strategic Partnership with the Gulf’; ‣Roadmaps for engagement with civil society in partner countries; ‣‘RebuildUkraine’ strategic reconstruction plan; ‣Eastern Partnership policy beyond 2020: Reinforcing Resilience – an Eastern Partnership that delivers for all; ‣Defence investment gaps analysis; ‣Action Plan for EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes to facilitate Ukraine’s agricultural export and bilateral trade with the EU; ‣Recommendation on a common Union toolbox to address semiconductor shortages and an EU mechanism for monitoring the semiconductor ecosystem; ‣EU-US Trade and Technology Council; ‣EU India-Trade and Technology Council; ‣Extension of TEN-T Network to Ukraine; ‣Ukraine/Moldova road transport agreements; ‣New Counter-Terrorism Agenda for the EU, setting out a way forward for actions to counter terrorism at EU level, looking to better anticipate, prevent, protect and respond to terrorist threats; ‣Toolkit to help mitigate foreign interference in research and innovation; ‣Communication on the Global Approach to research and innovation; ‣Trade Policy Review – An open, sustainable and assertive trade policy; ‣Re-launching negotiations for a trade agreement with India; ‣EU-Japan digital partnership; calls on the European Parliament and/or the Council to adopt without delay:

‣REPowerEU; ‣Communication on short-term gas and electricity market interventions; ‣European Chips Act, including an amendment of the Single Basic Act establishing European Partnerships; ‣Regulation on foreign subsidies distorting the internal market; ‣Proposal for a new Generalised System of Preferences; ‣Proposal for an Anti-Coercion Instrument; ‣Directive on asset recovery and confiscation; ‣Adding the violation and evasion of EU restrictive measures to the areas of crime laid down in Article 83(1) TFEU; intends to table proposals on: ‣Instrument to reinforce European defence industrial capabilities through joint procurement; ‣Regulation setting up a joint European Defence Investment Programme; ‣European legislation on Critical Raw Materials; ‣Single Market Emergency Instrument to react quickly during future crises and guarantee the circulation of goods and people, access to vital supplies and services at all times; ‣Customs support in implementing rules on child labour; ‣Digital partnerships announced in the Indo-Pacific Strategy; ‣Contribution of trade agreements to sustainable development – outcome of the Trade and Sustainable development review; ‣Ratification of recently concluded trade agreements to cement key relationships; ‣Youth Action Plan in EU external action; ‣A strategy for drones and unmanned aircraft;

will consider new areas of action, such as: ‣New measures to improve global EU food security; ‣Supply chain resilience and transparency for critical medicines, medical products and ingredients.



5. VALUES AND RIGHTS, RULE OF LAW AND SECURITY The Conference resulted in six broad proposals on values and rights, the rule of law and security : 25.Rule of law, democratic values and European identity – systematically uphold the rule of law across all Member States; 26.Data protection – Guarantee a more protective and citizen-oriented data treatment policy; 27.Media, fake news, disinformation, fact-checking, cybersecurity – Tackle disinformation by further promoting media independence and pluralism as well as media literacy; 28.Media, fake news, disinformation, fact-checking, cybersecurity (bis) – A stronger role for the EU in countering cybersecurity threats; 29.Anti-discrimination, equality and quality of life – Take action to harmonise living conditions across the EU and improve EU citizens’ socio-economic quality of life; 30.Animal rights, agriculture – Take decisive measures to promote and guarantee a more ecological and climate-oriented agriculture. To deliver on the Conference proposals, the Commission: has already put forward: ‣Annual Rule of Law report; ‣Regulation on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget; ‣Information material: oSocial media and visual communication; oMobile-friendly websites on the europa.eu domain (including learning corner); oEUvsDisinfo website; oPublications and data disseminated by the Publication Office; oCommission’s audio-visual services portal; oChild-friendly versions of key policy initiatives;

‣Continued guidance from the European Data Protection Board; ‣EU Security Union Strategy; ‣Strengthened Code of Practice on disinformation; ‣The new Better Internet for Kids initiative; ‣European Digital Media Observatory with possible platform; ‣Quality of life assessment in the European Semester reports; ‣Union of Equality Strategies addressing: gender equality, LGTBIQ rights, disability, anti-racism and Roma inclusion; ‣EU Strategy on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life; calls on the European Parliament and/or the Council to adopt without delay: ‣Set of proposals against manifestly unfounded or abusive court proceedings against public participation (known as SLAPPs); ‣Regulation amending rules on compensation and assistance to air passenger, and on air carrier liability; intends to table proposals on: ‣Media Freedom Act; ‣European Disability Card; ‣Strengthening the role and independence of equality bodies; ‣Legislative proposal on the Recognition of parenthood between Member States; will consider new areas of action, such as: ‣Initiative on associations and non-profit organisations;

‣Annual Rule of Law Conference to involve citizens besides stakeholders.



6. DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION The Conference resulted in five broad proposals on ways for the EU to embrace the Digital transformation : 31.Access to digital infrastructure – Equal access to the internet is a fundamental right of every European citizen. We propose that everyone in Europe should in practice have access to the internet and to digital services, and that the sovereignty of the EU’s digital infrastructure is enhanced; 32.Digital literacy and skills that empower people – We propose that the EU ensures that all European citizens can benefit from digitalisation, by empowering them with the necessary digital skills and opportunities; 33.Safe and trustworthy digital society – cyber security and disinformation – We propose that in order to have a safe, resilient and trustworthy digital society the EU should ensure effective and swift implementation of existing legislation and have more powers to enhance cyber security, deal with illegal content and cyber criminality, counter and recover from cyber threats from non-state actors and authoritarian states, and address disinformation; 34.Safe and trustworthy digital society – data protection – We promote data sovereignty of individuals, better awareness and more efficient implementation and enforcement of existing data protection rules (GDPR) to enhance personal control of own data and limit misuse of data; 35.Digital innovation to strengthen the social and sustainable economy – We propose that the EU promotes digitalisation measures which strengthen the economy and the single market in a fair and sustainable way, increase European competitiveness in technology and innovation, enhance the digital single market for companies of all sizes and make Europe a world leader in digital transformation and in human centric digitalisation. To deliver on the Conference proposals, the Commission: has already put forward: ‣Digital Decade Communication; ‣European Strategy for Data; ‣EU Cybersecurity strategy; ‣Broadband roll-out targets for rural areas as part of the Farm to Fork strategy; ‣Structured dialogue on digital education and skills; ‣Digital Skills and Jobs Platform and Coalition; ‣EU Code Week; ‣Support to social partners’ discussions, including their ongoing activities on telework and the right to disconnect; ‣European Cybersecurity Competence Centre; ‣Recommendation on 5G cybersecurity; ‣Recommendations on individual learning accounts and micro-credentials; ‣Connectivity toolbox;

‣Directive on charger ports for electronic devices; ‣European Blockchain Services Infrastructure; ‣Data Governance Act; ‣Digital Services Act; ‣Digital Markets Act; ‣Wifi4EU initiative; ‣6G Research and Innovation work programme; ‣Directive on measures for a high common level of cybersecurity across the Union (revised Network and Information Security Directive, or NIS 2); ‣Initiatives including the European Decryption Platform, Innovation Hub for internal security, European Cybersecurity Atlas; ‣Language Data Space creating an interconnected and competitive European data economy for public and private re-use of resources; ‣Review of the Web Accessibility Directive; ‣Review of the Coordinated Plan on Artificial Intelligence; ‣Communication on Fostering a European approach to Artificial Intelligence; calls on the European Parliament and/or the Council to adopt without delay: ‣Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles; ‣Policy programme: a path to the digital decade; ‣Regulation concerning the respect for private life and the protection of personal data in electronic communications (e-Privacy Regulation); ‣Proposal for a Directive to enhance the resilience of critical entities, an all-hazards framework to support Member States’ critical entities preventing, resisting, absorbing and recovering from disruptive incidents; ‣Regulation on digital operational resilience for the financial sector (DORA Act); ‣Artificial Intelligence Act;

‣Regulation on European Digital Identity; ‣Data Act on ensuring fairness in the allocation of the value of data and access and use of data in the EU across all economic sectors; ‣Regulation establishing the Union Secure Connectivity Programme, a plan for an EU space-based secure communication system; ‣Recommendation to set up a Joint Cyber Unit to tackle the rising number of serious cyber incidents impacting public services, businesses and citizens across the EU through advanced and coordinated responses; ‣Regulation and Directive on the digitalisation of cross-border judicial cooperation and access to justice in civil, commercial and criminal matters; ‣Regulation on establishing a collaboration platform for Joint Investigation Teams; ‣Regulation on digital information exchange in terrorism cases; ‣Regulation on crypto-assets; ‣Directive on Intelligent Transport Systems; ‣Regulation on the Single European Sky; intends to table proposals on: ‣European Cyber Resilience Act; ‣Revised Broadband Cost Reduction Directive; ‣Revised State aid guidelines for broadband networks; ‣Recommendation on improving the provision of digital skills in education and training; ‣Recommendation on enabling factors for digital education; ‣Union Position amending international Radio Regulations for the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 helping unhindered communication across the EU; ‣European Digital Skills Certification; ‣Liability for artificial intelligence; ‣Fitness check of EU consumer law on digital fairness;

‣Revision of Product Liability Directive; ‣Proposal for an EU governments interoperability strategy; ‣An Action Plan for the digitisation of energy systems and tackling the energy use of digital infrastructure; ‣GreenData4All – updated rules on geospatial environmental data and access to environmental information; ‣Initiative on VAT in the Digital Age; will consider new areas of action, such as: ‣Ramping up the enforcement of the GDPR, including a reflection on administrative procedure for the application of the GDPR in cross border cases, and increased communication on data protection rules and consent, and improving information on how data is used; ‣Further development of the European Digital Identity, including the facilitation of cross-border transactions; ‣European data spaces for mobility and tourism; ‣A European framework for the measurement, assessment and information of the environmental impact of digitisation for citizens; ‣Better enforcement of consumer protection laws; ‣Alternative ways of resolving consumer disputes; ‣Initiatives to enhance digital cohesion building on the European Digital Innovation Hubs; ‣Further development of the multilingual dimension within the context of digital transformation in the EU; ‣Standard programme on netiquette and the online rights of users; ‣Standardisation activities on artificial intelligence; ‣A preparatory action for EU coordinated darknet monitoring.





7.EUROPEAN DEMOCRACY The Conference on the Future of Europe formulated five broad proposals under European democracy . It called on the EU to: 36.Citizens information, participation and youth - Increase citizens’ participation and youth involvement in the democracy at the European Union level to develop a ‘full civic experience’ for Europeans, ensure that their voice is heard also in between elections, and that the participation is effective. That is why the most appropriate form of participation should be considered for each topic; 37.Citizens information, participation and youth (bis) - Make the European Union more understandable and accessible and strengthen a common European identity; 38.Democracy and elections - Strengthen European democracy by bolstering its foundations, boosting participation in European Parliament elections, fostering transnational debate on European issues and ensuring a strong link between citizens and their elected representatives; 39.EU decision making process - Improve the EU’s decision-making process in order to ensure the EU’ capability to act, while taking into account the interest of all Member States and guaranteeing and transparent and understandable process for the citizens; 40.Subsidiarity. To deliver on the Conference proposals, the Commission: has already put forward: ‣European Democracy Action Plan; ‣Citizenship Report 2020; ‣Strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities; ‣Enhanced ways to engage with citizens through the Have Your Say portal, the European Citizens’ Initiative and other forms of citizen engagement; ‣Communication on Better Regulation, followed by revised guidelines and an improved toolbox; ‣Recommendation on the protection, safety and empowerment of journalists; ‣Media service (traditional and new media) providing factual information about EU initiatives and actions to media in Brussels and all Member States; ‣European Commission Representations; ‣Network of Europe Direct offices; ‣Corporate communication campaigns with a special focus on targeting young Europeans; ‣Code of Good Administrative Behaviour; ‣Europe Direct Contact Centre available for EU-related questions from citizens in 24 official languages, and others like Ukrainian; ‣The Building Europe with local councillors pilot project, enabling councillors in local government to communicate about the EU; ‣Research projects into meaningful and ethical communications;

‣Citizen engagement in research as a Horizon Europe programme principle and operational objective; ‣Commission’s Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy led by the Joint Research Centre; ‣eTranslation to facilitate communication in all official languages of the EU; ‣Action plan on web accessibility to make sure that all online information published by the Commission is accessible for persons with disabilities; ‣Global Europe Human Rights and Democracy programme; ‣A Children's Participation Platform to connect existing child participation mechanisms at local, national and EU level, and involve children in EU decision-making; ‣Horizon Europe programme, cluster 2 part for innovative research on democracy and governance, and research projects into effective methods for multi-level, multilingual, and multi-modal citizen deliberations at the EU level; ‣Network for innovative solutions for the future of democracy; ‣Pilot models for targeted deliberations and co-creation processes for specific EU policies; calls on the European Parliament and/or the Council to adopt without delay: ‣Proposal on the transparency and targeting of political advertising; ‣Revision of the Regulation on the funding of European political parties ; ‣Revision of Council Directive on the electoral rights of mobile EU citizens in European Parliament elections; ‣Revision of Council Directive on the electoral rights of mobile EU citizens in municipal elections; intends to table proposals on: ‣Citizenship Report 2023; ‣Dedicating time and resources to organise citizens’ panels with the aim to deep-dive into a select number of key themes and help prepare particularly important sets of key initiatives and receive feedback from ahead of launch of legislative process; ‣Organising smaller targeted deliberative or co-creation/co-design processes, run in a smaller scale, to address specific policy issues more cost-effectively and in a timelier way; ‣A coherent and meaningful approach to ensure youth involvement in policy-making, though their systematic participation in citizens panels, in the smaller deliberative co-creation processes, as well as by a specific attention to the impact of envisaged policies on the young generation; ‣Developing further the Have Your Say portal to make it even more easily accessible online hub that pulls together all information on citizens’ engagement mechanisms running in the Commission. The platform will be strengthened by integrating the deliberative features of the Conference’s platform and other relevant ‘civic tech’ functions, including online participatory events;

‣Further enhancing online and offline interactions and to promote locally citizens’ engagement; ‣Integrating citizens-focused information and communication throughout the policy-making process, to foster active citizenship and democratic participation - including ahead of the European elections - in a spirit of shared responsibility by EU institutions, Member States at all levels, and civil society; ‣Use accessible language in all its public communication adapted to the channels and formats of communication used towards the different audiences; ‣Developing a new system for submitting and handling requests for access to documents, including a public portal for the citizens; ‣Further developing Europe Direct centres into local EU contact hubs; will consider new areas of action, such as: ‣Help to build capacity amongst national, regional and local actors to launch a new generation of decentralised citizens’ dialogues based on deliberative approaches; ‣Develop a European Charter for Citizens’ Participation targeted at all those who participate in or organise citizen engagement activities promoting the general principles that are essential for successful citizen engagement; ‣Making European citizenship more tangible to citizens, including by reinforcing the rights attached to it and by providing reliable and easily accessible information about it; ‣Promoting teaching material from European collaborative projects on the Commission’s ‘Learning Corner’, and developing new teaching material that also expands on the importance of active citizenship and media literacy; ‣Improving the transparency of EU decision-making by allowing citizens’ observers to closely follow the decision-making process. Such representatives could be invited by the three institutions together to observe selected interinstitutional EU decision-making processes on topics of broader interest, and ‘broadcast’ developments to citizens in Europe.



8. MIGRATION The Conference resulted in five broad proposals on migration : 41.Legal migration – Strengthen the EU’s role on legal migration: 42.Irregular migration – Strengthen the EU’s role in tackling all forms of irregular migration and strengthen the protection of the European Union's external borders, while respecting human rights; 43.Irregular migration (bis) – Apply common rules uniformly in all Member States on the first reception of migrants; 44.Asylum, integration – Strengthen the EU’s role and reform the European asylum system based on the principles of solidarity and fair share of responsibility; 45.Asylum, integration (bis) – Improve integration policies in all Member States. To deliver on the Conference proposals, the Commission: has already put forward:

‣Regulations on Cohesion Action for Refugees in Europe; ‣Activation of the Temporary Protection Directive to help persons fleeing the Russian war against Ukraine; ‣Blue Card Directive on conditions of entry to and residence in the European Union of non-EU nationals for the purpose of highly qualified employment; ‣Regulation on the European Border and Coast Guard; ‣Comprehensive and mutually beneficial partnerships with key countries of origin and transit under the European Pact on Migration and Asylum; ‣Renewed action plan against migrant smuggling; ‣New Agenda for the Mediterranean; ‣Regulation on the EU Asylum Agency; ‣Action plan on integration and inclusion 2021-2027; ‣Strategy on the future of Schengen; ‣EU strategy on voluntary return and reintegration; ‣Communication on Attracting skills and talent to the EU; calls on the European Parliament and/or the Council to adopt without delay: ‣New Pact on Migration and Asylum; ‣Skills and Talent package - Long-Term Residents Directive and the Single Permit Directive; ‣Schengen Border Code; ‣Regulation addressing situations of instrumentalisation in migration and asylum; ‣Amended Asylum Procedure Regulation; ‣Recast of the Reception Conditions Directive; ‣Regulation on Asylum and Migration Management;

‣Regulation on measures against transport operators that facilitate or engage in trafficking in persons or smuggling of migrants; intends to table proposals on: ‣EU-wide awareness-raising campaign on migration; ‣Multiannual communication campaign aimed at raising visibility of the EU skills profile tool for third country nationals; will consider new areas of action, such as: ‣Tackling employment and labour shortages reflecting the geopolitical context; ‣Evaluating the anti-trafficking legislation and if necessary propose a revision; ‣Stepping up work on first reception.



9. EDUCATION, CULTURE, YOUTH AND SPORT The Conference resulted in four broad proposals on Education, culture, youth and sport : 46.Education – The EU and its Member states should seek to establish by 2025 an inclusive European Education Area within which all citizens have equal access to quality education and life-long learning, including those in rural and remote areas; 47.European youth issues – The EU and its Member States have to focus on the specific needs of young people across all relevant policies, including the European Union’s regional policy in order to offer them the best possible conditions for study and work and starting an independent life, while engaging them in the democratic life and decision making processes, including at European level. Youth organisations have a crucial role to play; 48.Culture and exchanges – In order to promote a culture of exchange and foster European identity and European diversity across different areas, the Member States, with the support of the European Union, should promote European exchanges in different fields, promote multilingualism, create opportunities to share European cultures, protect European cultural heritage and culture, and take steps to ensure that cultural professionals are sufficiently protected at EU level; 49.Sport – Sport is crucial for our societies - in order to defend our values, ensure healthy lifestyle and ageing, promote a culture of exchanges and also celebrate the diversity of European heritage. To deliver on the Conference proposals, the Commission: has already put forward: ‣Communication on Achieving the European Education Area by 2025; ‣European Strategy for universities; ‣Recommendation on building bridges for effective European higher education cooperation, which sets out action to facilitate further cross-border studies and cooperation by mid-2024, such as joint degrees based on co-created European criteria;

‣Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027); ‣Recommendation on vocational education and training; ‣European Education Area Portal to build more resilient and inclusive education and training systems; ‣Recommendation on micro-credentials; ‣Measures to enhance synergies between EURES and Europass, enlargement of members/partners base in EURES, full exchange of CVs and vacancies and automated matching; ‣Exchanges between teachers (eTwinning, School Education Gateway, European School Education Platform); ‣Education for Climate Coalition; ‣Recommendation on blended learning for high quality and inclusive primary and secondary education; ‣European Year of Youth 2022; ‣Recommendation on youth volunteering, which will facilitate transnational youth volunteering under the European Solidarity Corps; ‣EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child; ‣Evaluation of Recommendation on high quality early childhood education and care systems; ‣Annual European Week of Sport, BeActive and BeInclusive campaigns; ‣HealthyLifestyle4All campaign aiming to link sport and active lifestyles with health, food and other policies and mobilise public authorities and the sport movement to join the initiative through their own pledges; ‣Recommendation on a common European data space for cultural heritage; ‣Peer-learning scheme on cultural heritage for cities and regions; ‣Voices of Culture, structured dialogue with the cultural sector; ‣Recommendation on learning for the green transition and sustainable development; ‣Set up an expert group on well-being at school;