Debate Europe

To enhance Plan D's mission of promoting active European citizenship, Debate Europe uses a variety of communication strategies to amplify and integrate the citizen voice into policymaking on any number of EU-related subjects. The goal is to provide tools for people from all walks of life, both at country and EU level, to exchange their views and opinions because "[t]he policies of the EU affect everyone's lives....EU policies therefore need to be fully anchored in the political parties, in the national democratic traditions, and in the daily political dialogue. They need to be discussed and debated, whether in the town hall, in regional assemblies, national parliaments, on television shows or on the internet."

As a reflection of this commitment, Debate Europe will:

• continue to co-fund pan-European citizens' consultation projects launched under Plan D;
• promote actions at country level to enable citizens to debate their views and discuss them with local policy makers, complementing other European Commission programmes and events which promote active involvement of citizens in the legislative and decision-making process at EU level;
• offer a framework of cooperation between the EC and other EU institutions in reaching out to the citizens at large and breaking the divide between European and national politics;
• launch online networks which will bring together European, national, and regional parliamentarians, journalists, and other European opinion-makers to share information, knowledge, and ideas on the EU;
• develop European Public Spaces in the capital cities of the Member States, where the EC and the European Parliament will accommodate exhibitions, debates, seminars, and training sessions on EU matters;
• involve EU officials in activities at regional and local level; and
• increase the potential of the Debate Europe online discussion forum. Launched in March 2006, the enhanced website focuses on 3 main topics: the Future of Europe, Energy and Climate Change, and Intercultural Dialogue. The forum is available in all 23 official languages of the EU, as well as in the Catalan language. This is a place where the EC can listen to citizens' concerns and give feedback. To re-launch the forum, in January 2008, EC representatives joined in an afternoon of online interaction with the general public. Commission officials pledged to continue to join in the debate on a regular basis to ensure there is a follow-up of all discussions and a real exchange between the Commission and the general public.

Democracy and Governance.