Brussels, 7 June 2006

This conference was held on the eve of the June European Council, was done in order to review the debate on the future of Europe and to get an overview of the results of the national and European debates that have been organized in the 25 States Members, as well as to contribute to benchmarking the national and European contributions to Plan D.

The debate was chaired by Mr Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca MEP Vice President of the European Parliament in charge of information policy.

The following issues were discussed:

Is Plan D working? - speaker: Jo Leinen MEP, Chairman of the constitutional Affairs Committee

Is Plan D producing any new ideas and techniques to reconnect citizens to Europe?-

speakers: Luis Herrero-Tejedor MEP, Rapporteur on the white paper,

Benoit Derenne , Fondation pour les générations futures, promoter of citizens panels, Elodie Fazi , Civil society contact group

Stephen Fox, Senior Policy Advisor, Scottish Executive

In the afternoon session, the discussion How to put the Dynamic in Plan D? was carried on with Margot Wallström, Vice President of European Commission , with the contribution of two agents provocateurs: Willy de Backer, Editor in chief of EurActiv.com and Giles Meritt, Secretary General, Friends of Europe.

Following speakers were invited for the panel:

Michael Stabenow (President of the Association de la Presse Internationale),

Daniel Spoel (Permanent forum for civil society) and

Richard Upson (Author of a new ECAS report on the citizens´ right to know).

The conclusions made about the whole process of the plan D were rather optimistic and many good elements came out of the conference. Here are the main suggestions that were made:

- The European Union should not be afraid of talking about the themes that are of great interest according to the great majority of the European citizens.

- More effort should be made to attract ALL the citizens, whatever his/her background or his/her job is.

- the European Union should try and look more attractive, more imaginative and use modern tools.

- The message delivered as well as the focuses should be made clearer.

- the project of the European Union has to be clearer as well as visionary.

- Better coordination is important. The national parliaments as well as the national governments should be more active. The information should also be more decentralized.

- Finally, some people suggested to have more European symbols and maybe to organize an annual conference for civil society.

All these fruitful discussions will be taken into account during the next European Council -which will take place on the next 15/16^th June- and nourish the discussion about the future of the European construction.