The conference on the future of the EU is in the offing, but no one knows what the people’s ideas will do. Parliament is even prepared to violate the Treaties.
The EU should have a minimum wage law.
The fight against climate change must be stepped up. Imported energy must be replaced by our own renewable energy, useless plastics must be abandoned and recycling must be made more efficient.
Decision-making should move away from unanimity to majority decisions. Unanimity is still required, for example, in foreign and security policy.
The Commission’s exclusive right to initiate legislation should be violated. The European Parliament should also have the right of initiative.
The year-long work of the Conference on the Future of the EU is now over, and the above demands are part of a long list of 49 issues about how the European Union should change its way.
The conference on the future of the EU was initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron.
The aim was to ask Europeans what the EU needs to do. The conference began in May 2021.
Citizens were allowed to submit ideas to an open online platform, events and EU Citizens’ Panels, which attracted 800 participants.
Thousands of ideas were accumulated. They were discussed in citizens’ panels and plenary sessions – the latter also involving politicians.
It is up to them whether anything happens to the ideas.
The engine of the conference was citizens’ panels, which drew 800 random citizens from all over Europe. We asked the three Finns involved what they considered important and why.
Tapio Vanajas: “Companies must be encouraged to be environmentally friendly”
“On my own my working group had two global issues, the sustainable economy and taxation. Let’s get acquainted with difficult topics.
We suggested that the use of plastics be reduced and that companies be encouraged to make production more environmentally friendly, for example through tax measures. They are important for future generations.
I amazed others by saying that our condominium has five pipes from which the garbage goes sorted directly to the collection point. Many listened with their lips round. When this too is fixed throughout Europe, so will it be.
I was afraid in advance that the meetings might have to be quarreled with those who expressed extremist views, but at least there were none in our group. I was impressed with the smartness of the young participants.
I will then be even more positive about EU decision-making. It seems that moderate forces remain on the neck.
It’s great to have the opportunity to make an impact. Even my own handprint will appear in one of the final proposals. “
Neea Kurri: “For example, contraception is not taught to everyone because of religion”
“People are not equal in the EU. Not everyone gets the same factual information about things.
In school health information, for example, contraception is not even taught to everyone – because of religion. I was shocked to realize this could indeed be the case.
To my recollection, the Bulgarian representatives said that their friends had been beaten when they came out of the closet.
We talked in the working group about how everyone should have the right to parenthood. For example, if you are now a member of a sexual minority, you do not have the right to adopt children in all Member States.
The conference was a bit confusing at first, but in the end things got pretty good. I hope that these will really lead to concrete action.
The experience was positive. The common spirit was that the future of our own countries was to be developed precisely as part of the European Union. I personally think so. “
Tuomas Suihkonen: “No one thought that borders should be completely closed”
“To me the two main themes were an EU-level solution to immigration and the abandonment of the unanimity requirement in decision-making. I am strongly in favor of both.
At its worst, unanimity paralyzes the EU and is not a sustainable way to develop such a large Union.
No one was of the opinion that the EU’s external borders should be completely closed, but that they should be controlled collectively.
Both Italian and Greek colleagues were of the opinion that migrants must be treated equally and human rights must be respected. It is good to remember that the EU also needs immigration.
Some speakers said too much that a new EU agency should be set up, for example, to tackle poverty. In the Nordic countries, we have been able to resolve such issues with our own country’s taxation.
Such a civic forum is a way to bring to decision-making issues that might otherwise be difficult to move forward.
In Finland, too, could social security reform be done with such a tool, where politicians do not have to worry about re-election or abandoning ideas just because they come from someone else?
By no means did we want the EU to do more. Instead, we wanted a better EU. “
The European Parliament supports and is ready to apply to the Treaties
Some of the citizens’ ideas are already being prepared in the EU.
But politicians are also under pressure to implement at least some of those who are not yet in the EU pipeline. The conference was big and the participants were promised that their work would have an impact.
Not all ideas will go through, but will some even go through? Will go if the European Parliament is asked. It was worth it on Wednesday (switch to another service) even amending the EU Treaties if the changes so require.
– We are going to launch a process to change the treaties. Citizens deserve it and Europe desperately needs it, says the Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadtone of the chairs of the future conference.
The waiver of the unanimity requirement is a matter that would require an amendment to the Treaties.
If the voice of the citizens is not heard after all the extensive work, participation will lose its meaning. Verhofstadt is in favor of citizens’ panels becoming a permanent part of EU decision-making.
– I no longer believe in a system based on elections every five years. Such a system must be made permanent.
Whether anything happens is still a complete mystery
Although Parliament is in favor of the ideas, they are still a long way off.
The member states, the EU Council, have been reluctant to accept the proposals. It is therefore possible that the EU will only promote things that are already in the pipeline, and will later commend the future conference for providing background support for their adoption.
Better public transport links to remote areas.
Candidates from other EU countries could also vote in the European elections. The voting age should be lowered to 16 years.
The EU language should be clarified.
Schools should teach “soft skills,” that is, interaction, understanding others, and critical thinking.
The ecological footprint of products should be more clearly labeled.
In addition, part of the EU Parliament, the Conservative Group ECR, and the right-wing ID are throughout the conference against results (switch to another service). In their view, the views of the citizens involved are not representative of the EU as a whole.
This is because, although the conference was open to all opinions, there were relatively few anti-EU participants in the citizens’ panels. They are thought to have largely declined the invitation.
On the other hand, opinion polls clearly outweigh anti-EU sentiment. Fresh (switch to another service) According to a Eurobarometer survey, 69 per cent of Finns consider membership a good thing.