Brussels, 12/03/2004 (Agence Europe) - How can Europe be brought close to citizens, who feel disconnected and uninformed about the EU's decision-making process? By implementing the Lisbon Strategy, ensuring the IGC is a success and ensuring better communication between the EU and its citizens. This was the message of the speech by Irish European affairs minister Dick Roche to the conference organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels on 8/9 March on participatory democracy and the European Constitution (see yesterday's EUROPE, p. 15).
To bridge these gaps, the Irish Presidency is organising a ministerial conference in Wicklow on 7/8 April on Communicating Europe, looking at micro-communication (contact between citizens and the European institutions), announced Dick Roche.
Roche stressed the role of the social partners (employers and trade unions), commenting that employers' support was vital if one were to establish a favourable environment at work. The Irish Presidency is urging heads of state at the European Council on 25/26 March to pledge to promote a strategy of change in partnerships between the Commission, governments, regions, social partners and citizens. The Tripartite Social Summit of 25 March, when the European social partners will be given an opportunity to express their views, should help the European Council to develop political responses in order to realise the Lisbon objectives for 2010. The theme of partnership in change will be taken up by future Presidencies, explained Roche, in collaboration with the European Commission and the European social partners.
The Irish minister hailed the fact that for the first time, the future Constitutional Treaty will have a separate section on the EU's democratic life, highlighting the equality of citizens and introducing a new idea, 'citizens' initiatives'.