Brussels, 05/07/2002 (Agence Europe) - The now traditional monthly plenary session of the European Convention will be accompanied next week by a "Youth Convention". Young participants will meet on Tuesday to Friday, and the Convention on Thursday and Friday. Both sessions will meet twice. On Thursday afternoon, the young Convention members will attend the plenary session of the Convention as observers, and, on Friday morning, they will present the results of their own work. The plenary will also examine (probably on Friday morning) the letter from nine Members and alternate Members calling for substantive texts to be proposed in October, explained the Convention spokesperson.
The plenary session of the European Convention will be devoted to the European Union's external action. Convention Members will tackle external policy on Thursday, and questions of security and defence on Friday. The Praesidium has drawn up a document giving the existing policies and structures and putting forward seven questions on the organisation of the debate: 1) How can one strengthen convergence of opinion between the Member States on the different external policy subjects, without this leading to a less ambitious policy? 2) How can coherence between the various EU external policies be strengthened, such as development and trade? 3) To what extent can the Community method be extended? Should one allow a group of Member States to take initiatives on behalf of the EU? 4) How can one improve the Community method? 5) What lessons can be drawn from the creation of the post of High Representative? 6) Should one modify the existing arrangements for the Community or Union representations with third States or international organisations? 7) For Friday morning, concerning defence policy, the Praesidium asks if tasks other than the so-called Petersberg tasks should be assigned to the Union? Do we wish to give the Union real operational capacities, including military capabilities? Should one envisage admission criteria and a pact as was the case for monetary union?
Two hundred and ten young people aged 18 to 25 will be meeting within the Youth Convention. Of these, 168 have been selected by the title-holders and alternates of the Convention representing the national parliaments or governments (6 per country), 32 by representatives of the European Parliament, 4 by representatives of the Commission and 6 by the President and Vice-presidents. There will be no distinction between full and alternate members or between representatives of Member Sates and candidate countries. During the evening of Tuesday 9 July, the members of the Youth Convention will elect their Praesidium and their President. The work will be opened on Wednesday morning by the Chairman of the Convention, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, the Chairman of the parliamentary committee on culture and youth, Michel Rocard, and the European Commissioner for culture and education, Viviane Reding. The work will then be organised in plenary sessions and working groups. The three working groups will cover: - mission and vision for Europe; - democracy and participation; - and Europe in a globalised world. On Friday morning, the results of the work will be presented to the Convention. The European Youth Forum, an organisation that groups 91 NGO youth federations active at European and national level, helped to organise this "second" Convention.