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Notre Europe and Gallup Europe together with its consortium of partners join forces to prepare ‘Tomorrow’s Europe’

Notre Europe and Gallup Europe join forces together with an extensive consortium of partners (including El Cano Institute (Spain); Providus (Latvia); European University Institute (Italy); Initiative and Referendum Institute (Germany); Instytut Spraw Publicznych (Poland); Europeum (Czech Republic); Center for European Policy Studies (Belgium); EuropaNova (Hungary)) from all over Europe to set up the largest European project of its kind: ‘Tomorrow’s Europe’, the first ever pan-EU Deliberative Polling® designed for the purpose of Margot Wallström’s Plan D.
Coordinated by Notre Europe, the partnership also involves the Finnish Presidency of the EU, which is a strong supporter of the initiative as it will host the inaugural focus group, co-finance the process and ensure that it is taken forward within the Council, the European Parliament, which will make its infrastructure available to the deliberation, a high level scientific partnership consisting of 20 researchers from various EU member states countries specialised in participative consultation mechanisms and European issues and the media, which will have a central role to play in the dissemination of the project, thus ensuring its success.

The main objectives of the project are:

• To promote pubic participation in the debates on Europe as provided by Plan D;
• To seek public opinions on an extensive and qualitative basis;
• To analyse contributions from the general public as input for decision-makers.

The project aims to create a space for information and open dialogue which will end in a real citizen deliberation, representative of what the 450 million EU citizens have in mind. For the first time, ordinary people will gather together and be able to voice their concerns when it comes to the future of the European Union, meet and debate with experts and policy-makers.

In November 2006, 75 citizens from around the EU will identify the most important issues related to Europe’s future role. Then, 25 000 EU citizens will be polled based on the issues identified. In early 2007, a sub-sample of some 750 volunteers will receive impartial and balanced information reflecting the different opinions in the debate. These Europeans will take part in a two-day deliberation event where they will have the opportunity to debate and address issues during a week-end in Brussels together with experts, officials from EU Institutions and politicians from across the political spectrum. At the end of the deliberation, the participants will be polled again, allowing them to express a more considered opinion. The final event will be dedicated to the follow up of polls and given the importance of the issue in question – to revive the public debate on the future of the EU – it will take place in the European Parliament, which will make its infrastructure available to the deliberation, in April/May 2007.

The initiative already raises significant media attention in the member states; it will be the first time ever that a deliberative poll is conducted on such an international scale.

More information on:
http://www.notre-europe.eu/
http://www.notre-europe.eu/fileadmin/IMG/pdf/Tomorrow_s_Europe_EN.pdf

Newsletter Coordinator • Aurélien Renard, Business Development Manager •

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