Giscard team urged to listen to EU citizens

Date: 11/04/02

By Martin Banks

MEPs have called for a permanent dialogue between 'civil society' and the Convention on the future of Europe.

Several members of the assembly told a conference in Brussels that input from ordinary people on Europe's future must not just be a 'one-off'.

The 105-member forum, headed by Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, is due to hear the opinions of civil society: trade unions, business groups, academia and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) will be invited to attend the sessions.

But, following the Convention's first two meetings, there have been claims that the public has been sidelined from its hearings.

The conference was organised by the Green-European Free Alliance group in the European Parliament to hear the views of civil society groups and was attended by more than 30 representatives of candidate countries, NGOs, MEPs and trade unions.

Austrian Green MEP Johannes Voggenhuber told delegates at Friday's event: 'Contact between the two sides must not be a one-off token hearing, but must lead to a permanent dialogue.'

He also called for better access to Convention meetings and documents and the end of 'secretiveness' in the praesidium, or steering committee, which will shape the agenda.

'These are issues which we will bring up before the Convention meets next week,' said Voggenhuber, who is a member of the Convention.

His comments were echoed by Monica Frassoni, joint leader of the Greens, who said: 'The participation of civil society is fundamental for the Convention to succeed.

'But the NGOs must not confine themselves to being mere institutional lobbyists: they are also responsible for mobilising people throughout Europe to participate in the debate on the future of Europe.'

Scottish deputy Neil MacCormick said: 'The greatest challenge facing the Convention is to establish effective and interactive communication with EU citizens.'

MEPs have called for a permanent dialogue between 'civil society' and the Convention on the Future of Europe.