COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL SHAPING THE CONFERENCE ON THE FUTURE OF EUROPE
Date: 2020-01-22
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: EU policy, European conference, citizens' Europe, climate change policy, democracy, digital single market, interinstitutional cooperation (EU), promotion of the European idea, social rights, the EU's international role

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  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 22.1.2020  COM(2020) 27 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL SHAPING THE CONFERENCE ON THE FUTURE OF EUROPE  
 
 
SHAPING THE CONFERENCE ON THE FUTURE OF EUROPE  

EUROPEAN COMMISSION CONTRIBUTION 

22 January 2020 

1. A NEW PUSH FOR EUROPEAN DEMOCRACY – THE TIME IS NOW  

More  than  200  million  European  citizens 
voted in the May 2019 European elections 
– the highest turnout in twenty years. This 
clearly shows that Europeans want a more 
active role in deciding what the European 
Union  does.  As  digital  technologies  and 
social  media 
reshape 
political  and  civic  participation,  citizens, 
especially  the  younger  generation,    are 
demanding  greater  involvement  in  the 
way policies are shaped, beyond voting in 
elections every 5 years. 

fundamentally 

We must respond to this call.  

“I want Europeans to build the 
future of our Union. They should 
play a leading and active part in 
setting our priorities and our level 
of ambition. I want citizens to have 
their say at a Conference on the 
Future of Europe, to start in 2020 
and run for two years.” 

President of the European Commission, 
Ursula von der Leyen 

A Union that strives for more – 
My agenda for Europe 16 July 2019 

The democratic system of the European Union is unique. It encompasses 500 million people 
and transcends borders. To make it even more vibrant, interactive and relevant to our citizens, 
we need to use new methods. President Ursula von der Leyen has pledged to do this by giving 
Europeans a greater say on what the Union does and how it works for them. This is the central 
premise behind the idea of a Conference on the Future of Europe.  

Europe  has  enjoyed  10  years  of  continuous  economic  growth  after  years  of  fighting  crises, 
more Europeans have jobs than ever before, and although some degree of euroscepticism is a 
reality, popular support for our Union is at one of its highest levels in almost 30 years1. From 
this position of internal collective strength, we can now look forward and forge a vision for 
our future. The time is ripe for a New Push for European Democracy. 

In an increasingly multipolar world, many Europeans remain concerned about their future and 
the  European  Union  has  to  show  that  it  can  provide  answers  to  their  concerns.  European 
policy must help citizens and businesses benefit from the green and digital transitions. It 
must address inequalities and ensure the European Union is a fair, sustainable and competitive 
economy. In doing so, we can show that Europe can be more assertive and promote its values 
and standards in the world.  

As a major pan-European democratic exercise, the Conference will be a new public forum 
for an open, inclusive, transparent and structured debate with citizens around a number 
of key priorities and challenges. It will be a bottom-up forum, accessible to all citizens, from 
all walks of life, and from all corners of the Union, and should reflect Europe’s diversity. It 
will be open to civil society, the European institutions and other European bodies, including 
the  Committee  of  the  Regions,  the  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee,  as  well  as 
national, regional and local authorities, parliaments and other stakeholders  – all contributing 
as  equal  partners.  Ultimately,  it  is  about  strengthening  the  link  between  Europeans  and  the 
institutions that serve them. 

1 European Parliament autumn Eurobarometer, December 2019. 

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Defining the concept, structure, scope and timing of the Conference must be a truly joint 
effort  by  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council  and  the  European  Commission.  This 
cooperation should take the form of a Joint Declaration by the three institutions, later to be 
opened  to  other  signatories  including  institutions,  organisations  and  stakeholders.  National 
and  regional  parliaments  and  actors  have  an  important  role  to  play  in  the  Conference  and 
should  be  encouraged  to  hold  Conference-related  events.  Their  involvement  should  ensure 
that the Conference  goes far beyond Europe’s  capital  cities and reaches every corner of the 
Union.  

The European Parliament and the Council are currently working on their contributions to this 
process.  The  European  Parliament,  in  its  Resolution  of  15  January  20202,  welcomed  the 
proposal  for  a  Conference  on  the  Future  of  Europe,  calling  for  an  open  and  transparent 
process, which takes an inclusive, participatory and well-balanced approach towards citizens 
and stakeholders. The European Council, in its conclusions of 12 December 2019, underlined 
its interest in taking the Conference forward by asking the Croatian Presidency to begin work 
on the Council’s position3. The Croatian Presidency has itself listed the Conference among its 
Presidency Priorities4.  

This Communication is the Commission’s contribution to this process.  

2. AN OPEN DISCUSSION FOCUSING ON WHAT MATTERS TO CITIZENS  

In  order  to  focus  the  debate  and  allow  for  effective  follow-up,  the  European  Commission 
proposes to organise the Conference along two parallel strands: the first focusing on policy, 
and what our Union should seek to achieve, the second focusing on institutional matters. 

2.1 A UNION THAT STRIVES FOR MORE 

The Conference should be framed around the EU’s headline ambitions, as set out in the 
Commission’s six Political  Priorities5 and the European Council’s Strategic Agenda6. These 
include  the  fight  against  climate  change  and  environmental  challenges,  an  economy  that 
works for people, social fairness and equality, Europe’s digital transformation, promoting our 
European values, strengthening the EU’s voice in the world, as well as shoring up the Union’s 
democratic foundations. While these topics should frame the debate, they should not limit the 
scope  of  the  Conference.  Citizens  should  be  free  to  focus  on  what  they  consider  to  be 
important. 

2.2 INSTITUTIONAL MATTERS 

The  second  strand  should focus  on  addressing  topics  specifically  related  to  democratic 
processes and institutional matters, notably the lead candidate system for the election of the 
President  of  the  European  Commission  and  transnational  lists  for  elections  to  the  European 
Parliament.  The  establishment  of  transnational  lists  would  at  least  require  changes  in  EU 
electoral law. This in turn would require a proposal by the European Parliament, adopted in 

on 

on 

the 

European 

Conference 

Parliament's 

2 
position 
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2020-0010_EN.html 
3  European  Council  conclusions,  12  December  2019,  https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/41768/12-euco-
final-conclusions-en.pdf 
4https://vlada.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/Vijesti/2019/12%20prosinac/31%20prosinca/web_FINAL_PROGRAMM
E_EN_FINAL.pdf  
5  A  Union  that  strives  for  more  –  My  agenda  for  Europe,  https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-
political/files/political-guidelines-next-commission_en.pdf 
6 A new strategic agenda for the EU 2019-2024: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/39914/a-new-strategic-
agenda-2019-2024.pdf 

Future 

the 

of 

Europe 

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the  Council  by  unanimity,  and  the  approval  by  the  Member  States  in  accordance  with  their 
respective constitutional requirements. As the Commission does not have competence in this 
field,  its  role  should  be  that  of  a  facilitator  and  honest  broker  between  the  European 
Parliament  and  the  Council.  In  this  regard,  and  if  useful  for  the  other  institutions,  the 
Commission  stands  ready  to  make  available  legal  and  institutional  expertise,  research  on 
electoral processes and insight into inter-institutional relations.  

3. CREATING THE RIGHT SPACE FOR EUROPEANS TO HAVE THEIR SAY 

3.1 BUILDING ON EXPERIENCE 

As  a  starting  point,  the  Conference  should  build  on  the  well-established  citizens’ 
dialogues while introducing new elements in order to increase their outreach and strengthen 
ways for people to shape Europe’s future. The European Union should also draw on its wealth 
of  experience  in  consulting  citizens  to  ensure  the  Conference  reaches  the  largest  number  of 
Europeans possible. This experience includes:  

-  Some 1,850 citizens’ dialogues organised between 2015 and 2019, gathering 218,700 

participants in 650 locations across the European Union; 

-  Hosting the first-ever European citizens’ panel on the Future of Europe, which brought 
together 100 citizens from all across the Union, selected through polling experts; 

-  Over 900 visits by Members of the Commission to national and regional parliaments 

since 2014. 

The  Commission  is  already  committed  to  significantly  stepping  up  its  outreach  to  citizens, 
notably outside the capitals. President von der Leyen has already asked each Member of her 
Commission to visit every Member State in the first half of their mandate. Every Member of 
the College should also take part in Conference-related events across Europe and engage with 
citizens, national, regional and local politicians and actors.  

The Conference should also build on the useful experience of the EU’s institutions and 
Member States from their active engagement with European citizens. For example, many 
Members of the European Parliament have engaged in citizens’ dialogues and other debates in 
recent  years.  The  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the 
Regions  have  also  launched major outreach initiatives.  The Conference  must draw from  the 
experience  of  different  forms  of  citizens’  consultations  and  participatory  democratic  events, 
such  as  the  citizens’  assemblies  organised  in  Member  States.  In  this  spirit,  national 
parliaments,  as  well  as  social  partners,  regional  and  local  authorities  and  civil  society  must 
play a fundamental role throughout the Conference. 

Existing tools that allow citizens to contribute to EU policy-making should also be promoted 
as  part  of  the  Conference,  such  as  the  European  Citizens’  Initiative  or  the  ‘Have  your  say’ 
public consultations7. Other European Union programmes such as Erasmus, DiscoverEU and 
the  European  Solidarity  Corps,  could  also  be  used  to  promote  the  Conference  through  the 
dissemination of information about how to participate in the Conference on the programme-
specific websites or, for example, as part of the DiscoverEU itineraries.  

7 https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say_en 

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3.2  TAKING  CITIZENS’  DIALOGUES  TO  THE  NEXT  LEVEL  –  NEW  FORMS  OF 
PARTICIPATION 

Promoting new forms of citizens’ participation will increase legitimacy and trust in our Union 
and  complement  its  representative  democracy.  The  Conference  must  address  a  specific 
element  of  the  citizens’  dialogues,  namely  the  connection  between  citizens’  views  and 
practical policy-making. This will show Europeans that their voices count.  

The  Commission  is  committed  to  taking  the  most  effective  actions,  with  the  other  EU 
institutions, to ensure that what citizens debate is translated into EU policy-making. 

Issue-specific  deliberative  panels,  gathering  citizens  and  experts  should  meet  at  regular 
intervals  throughout  the  Conference. These panels should hear contributions  gathered in  the 
framework  of  the  Conference,  as  well  as  the  views  of  stakeholders  and  elected 
representatives, with the aim of reflecting on how best to follow-up with recommendations for 
action. The Commission is also ready to promote broader and more decentralised deliberative 
panels.  A  ‘European  citizens’  panel’  –  representative  of  geography,  gender,  age,  socio-
economic background and/or level of education of citizens – could meet several times during 
the Conference and report to the Conference with a list of proposals for recommendations. 

In addition to the citizens’ dialogues, we should be open to new forms of participation.  

A multilingual digital platform, for example, could give permanent and easy access to the 
Conference.  The  aim  of  the  platform  would  be  to  maximise  participation,  accessibility  and 
transparency by:  

- 

Including all documentation related to the Conference and the topics discussed; 

-  Livestreaming debates; 

-  Gathering the outcomes of debates in one place; 

-  Promoting  other  interactive  ways  for  public  debates  to  take  place  as  part  of  the 

Conference. 

In  addition  to  the  town-hall-style  citizens’  dialogue  format,  a  wide  range  of  other 
Conference-related events should be organised by local, regional and national partners. 
All institutions and civil society partners that wish to participate in the Conference should be 
asked to subscribe to the principles and objectives defined in the Joint Declaration. 

Broader, interactive and creative forms of participation, such as sporting  events or festivals, 
should  be  used,  in  particular  to  attract  young  people.  In  the  same  vein,  Conference-related 
‘hackathons’ could be organised to encourage innovative thinking on specific themes, as well 
as other initiatives to encourage people to take part in their own way. Likewise, it is important 
to reach the older generation and ensure traditional forms of participation are given attention.  

The  most  important  part  of  the  process  is  promoting  the  widest  possible  participation  and 
inclusion  of  views  from  across  the  Union.  All  Europeans  should  be  given  an  equal 
opportunity  to  engage  –  whether  young  or  old,  whether  living  in  rural  or  urban  areas  and 
whether  knowledgeable  about  the  Union  or  not.  Reaching  out  to  the  silent  majority  of 
Europeans,  empowering  them  and  giving  them  the  space  to  speak  up  is  essential  for  our 
democracy. The diversity  of Europe should  consistently be reflected throughout  the process 
with  events  that  reach  out  to  people,  no  matter  where  they  live  in  Europe  or  what  their 
background  is.  Particular  attention  should  by  paid  to  ensuring  gender  equality,  the 
representation of minorities and persons with disabilities. 

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4. OUTREACH 

The  success  of  the  Conference  will  largely  depend  on  how  effectively  and  widely  it  is 
communicated  to  Europeans.  The  European  Parliament,  the  Council  and  the  European 
Commission should join forces with other EU institutions and bodies, as well as with local, 
regional  and  national  political  representatives,  institutions  and  stakeholders,  and  share  the 
responsibility  of  promoting  the  Conference,  ensuring  that  their  actions  complement  and 
reinforce  each  other.  The  one  million  elected  representatives  at  all  levels  in  Europe  are 
instrumental in promoting and enriching the debate in their respective constituencies.  

Ambitions will need to be matched with the appropriate means.  All EU institutions should 
be ready to contribute resources, notably financial, for the organisation and roll-out of 
the Conference. 

All Members of the College will play their part in communicating the Conference, with Vice-
President  Šuica  leading  the  Commission’s  work  on  the  Conference,  supported  by  Vice-
President  Jourová  on  the  institutional  strand,  as  well  as  Vice-President  Šefčovič  on  the 
foresight  and inter-institutional  side. Likewise, the European Parliament  and Member States 
could also designate points of contact to act as public faces or as ambassadors for the debate. 
This can increase visibility and impact at national, regional and local level. 

The  Conference  should  be  easily  recognisable  to  citizens  through  a  single  Conference 
identity.  This  should  include  a  common  visual  expression  that  is  used  and  applied  by  all 
partners  for  all  activities  organised  under  the  umbrella  of  the  Conference.  The  Commission 
proposes  a  comprehensive  communication  approach  that  mobilises  all  the  institutions  and 
their collective resources, creating synergies and maximising the Conference’s impact. A joint 
promotion  plan  should  be  set  up,  with  each  institution  sharing  the  responsibility  for  the 
successful outreach of the Conference.  

Joint and multilingual communication efforts should have a particular but not exclusive 
focus on young people and digital platforms.  For example, the Conference could mobilise 
Erasmus  and  European  Solidarity  Corps  alumni,  as  well  as  other  networks  involving  young 
people, to act as ambassadors for the Conference; likewise for the hundreds of thousands of 
people who registered with the together.eu website, who could also act as ambassadors for the 
Conference. 

The  Commission’s  Representations  in  the  Member  States  and  the  European  Parliament 
Liaison  Offices  will  have  a  key  role  to  play  in  raising  awareness  about  the  Conference, 
stimulating  equal,  inclusive  and  fair  participation,  coordinating  the  activities  carried  out  at 
national  and regional level  and organising events and discussions  under the umbrella of the 
Conference.  

EU  Networks  present  in  the  regions,  and  in  particular  Europe  Direct  networks,  can  help  in 
stimulating and organising regional conversations. For example, the European Commission’s 
Representations could identify  a number of Europe Direct  contact  centres to  act  as regional 
hubs to help organise and follow the debates, liaising with regional and local authorities and 
organising their own engagement activities. 

Social media must play a role in widening the outreach of the Conference, including through 
relevant  multipliers,  both  in  promoting  the  digital  platform  and  in  helping  citizens  join  the 
debates physically or online.  

Communication about the conference should be  transparent, reflecting the work carried 
out in the context of the Conference. The multilingual digital platform will serve as the main 
hub for all information and activities at national and EU level.  All partners should use the 

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digital platform and apply the highest transparency standards while communicating on 
their events.  

A  calendar  of  all  Conference-related  events  should  be  made  publically  available  via  the 
platform,  and  meetings  and  large-scale  events  should  be  web-streamed  wherever  possible. 
Contributions  and  supporting  materials,  including  clear  and  educational  information  on  the 
issues  at  stake,  should  be  published  online.  Particular  attention  will  be  paid  to  countering 
disinformation. 

5. FOLLOWING UP ON WHAT CITIZENS SAY 

A  discussion  of  this  magnitude  will  only  be  fruitful  if  and  when  it  is  followed  up  with 
real  action  and  tangible  results.  In  the  Political  Guidelines,  President  von  der  Leyen  has 
therefore pledged to follow up on what is debated and agreed during the Conference. This is a 
key  deliverable  and  a  novelty  of  the  Conference,  which  should  ultimately  show  that 
participating in democracy is a constant process that thrives beyond elections.  

A  feedback  mechanism  should  ensure  that  the  ideas  expressed  result  in  concrete 
recommendations  for  future  EU  action.  It  could  be  specific  to  themes  as  they  emerge,  and 
could  take  various  forms  such  as  reporting  by  the  Commission’s  Representations,  opinion 
polls  from  conferences,  and  expert  monitoring  of  online  and  social  media  discussions  and 
other  available  data.  The  Commission  can  contribute  to  this  process,  with  quarterly  reports, 
for  example.  These  reports  should  be  publically  available  and  proactively  communicated. 
Such  reports  will  provide  valuable  insights  and  will  be  closely  linked  to  the  Commission’s 
work on foresight by identifying the social, economic and political trends that can help make 
European laws future-proof. 

As  part  of  the  feedback  mechanism,  it  will  be  important  to  determine  how  to  integrate 
citizens’  feedback  into  a  coherent  set  of  recommendations.  The  Commission  is  ready  to 
take into account citizens’ feedback and proposals in the setting of its legislative agenda. 

6. THE TIMELINE  

The Commission proposes to launch the Conference on Europe Day – 9 May 2020. This year 
will  mark  the  70th  anniversary  of  the  signing  of  the  Schuman  Declaration  and  the  75th 
anniversary of the end of the Second World War. As the launch would coincide with Croatia’s 
rotating  Presidency  of  the  Council  of  the  EU,  the  kick-off  event  could  take  place  in 
Dubrovnik.  

An event under each rotating Presidency of the Council could take place outside the capitals, 
which  would  underline  the  local  nature  of  the  Conference,  as  well  as  the  Council’s 
commitment to play  an active role in  it. These events  would provide another opportunity to 
present any intermediate milestones.  

In the first semester of 2022, under the French Presidency of the Council, the outcomes and 
recommendations of the different debates should be presented and next steps considered. It is 
important  that  this  commitment  to  follow-up  is  formalised  from  the  very  beginning  of 
the process in the Joint Declaration. 

Concerning the institutional strand, the timeline should be determined by the upcoming 2024 
European  elections  before  which  any  potential  changes  to  electoral  law  would  need  to  be 
operational. 

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7. CONCLUSIONS  

It  is  becoming  clearer  every  day  that  citizens  want  a  more  active  role  in  the  policy-making 
process, including at the EU level. This is as true for Europe as it is beyond our borders. The 
overarching aim of the Conference on the Future of Europe is to encourage European citizens 
and make it easier for them to get involved in democracy beyond the European elections. The 
Conference should not replace representative democracy, but serve as a means to complement 
and reinforce it.  

The  Conference  cannot  be  a  simple  stocktaking  exercise.  It  must  be  a  way  of  enabling 
European  citizens  to  shape  EU  policies.  By  opening  up  stronger  and  more  constant 
communication  channels  for  citizens,  with  a  variety  of  platforms  for  all  Europeans  to  have 
their say, we can ensure that Europe truly delivers for Europeans based on what they want.  

The Conference is an opportunity for the EU to showcase how it can further evolve in future 
through constructive engagement with its citizens – an exercise that can inspire other parts of 
the world. 

This  Communication  is  the  Commission’s  contribution  for  the  discussion  between  the  three 
institutions  with  the  aim  of  determining  jointly  and  swiftly  the  scope,  format,  structure  and 
objectives  of  the  Conference  in  a  Joint  Declaration.  This  should  then  be  open  to  other 
signatories, including institutions, organisations and stakeholders. The wider the outreach, the 
better. 

The  Commission  is  convinced  that  a  stronger  partnership  between  European  policy-makers 
and Europe’s citizens will serve to amplify their voices and guide European policy-making in 
the future. Building on the momentum and success of recent outreach, now is the time to seize 
the opportunity and launch this truly unique debate.   

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