The Panels will work on the weekend at the Campus of the College of Europe at Natolin(Warsaw, Poland), while the plenary meetings will be held at the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw. Around 200 panellists, all from different countries and with different backgrounds, will make recommendations for the future Europe. They will draw on their previous work from two sessions held in Strasbourg on 1-3 Oct and online on 19-21 Nov. and will focus on the following topics; better ways to live; protecting our environment; directing our economy and consumption towards a sustainable society; caring for all.
All pertinent information, including the latest report about the Panels’ work can be found at the dedicated Panel 3 webpage. The draft agenda can be accessed Here.
European Citizens Panels in the light of the COVID-19 situation
The Conference on the Future of Europes Executive Board has a tradition of taking advice from the partner institutions on the ground and local or national authorities when deciding whether Panels should be continued or postponed in view of the evolving COVID-19 situation.
The Executive Board decided in December 2021 to hold the Panel 3 session with all panellists physically present. This was in accordance with the Polish health measures. Hybrid facilities will also be available for remote connection to ensure that all panellists are able to participate. The venue will only allow participants and attendees who are fully vaccinated, as was the case with the December 2021 Panel meeting in Florence.
The Executive Board also decided that the Panel meeting, originally scheduled for Maastricht (Netherlands), 14-16 January, would be postponed until the public health measures and conditions permit the Panel to proceed.
COVID-19 rules
The College of Europe will implement all safety measures necessary to organize in-presence meetings. Only those who are vaccinated (with no booster shot) and have a valid COVID-19 Recovery Certificate can attend or participate in person. Everybody who visits the College of Europe campus will have to perform on-the spot rapid antigen tests. The results will be available after approximately 20 mins and will need repeated every 24 hrs. It is mandatory to wear a mask and physical separation must be maintained between people.
How to follow the Panel session
All 200 panellists’ meetings will be livestreamed at the Conferences Multilingual Digital PlatformYou can also find information on Parliaments Multimedia Centre (FridayAnd Sunday) where recorded versions will also be available.
Journalists wishing to attend in person need to register by following the link: https://register.futureu.events/200229899?categoryid=201803654&t=86023439536314fba14ee6bab8bf45e5
To gain access to the premises, you will need to be an EU member state or European institution accredited journalist. Each of the following buildings will have a press work area:
Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw (Friday AM and Sunday
Tiereszkowa Or Kopernik
Plac Defilad 1, 00-901 Warszawa
Tel: +48 22 656 76 00
College of Europe NatolinFriday PM and Saturday
Coach house building, room C4.
Nowoursynowska 84, 02-797 Warszawa
Tel: +48 22 545 94 01
For further practical information, contact Paolo Saraca-Volpini on [email protected] / +32 470 88 13 42 or Agns Wojciechowicz on [email protected] / +48 508 856 907.
Background
The four European Citizens Panels are 200-member panels and are a citizen-led initiative that is a cornerstone of the Conference on the Future of Europe. Their deliberations consider contributions from citizens across Europe via the Multilingual digital platform and events across the Member States. They also include presentations from prominent academics. Specialist contractors randomly selected citizens using methods to ensure that they were representative of the EU’s diversity in terms gender, age and socioeconomic background.
The Conference Plenary will present and discuss the recommendations of the European Citizens Panels. There, the Conference’s proposals can be further shaped. The Conference Plenary has 80 Panel representatives (20 each from the European Citizens Panels), of which at least one third is between 16- and 25 years old. They will present the Panel discussions results and debate them with MEPs from national governments and parliaments, European Commissioners, European Commissions, and other Plenary Members of EU bodies, regional and municipal authorities, social partner and civil society.