Brussels, 01/12/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 4 and 5 December, representatives of the European Parliament and of EU Member State parliaments will discuss, in Brussels, the theme “The Future of Europe: From Reflection to Action”. A press release states that the event organised by the European Parliament and the Finnish parliament will contribute to the discussions of the European Council on 14 and 15 December. The meeting between European and national parliamentarians comes after that on 8 and 9 May that contributed to reactivating the debate on the future of Europe in EU Member States.
During Monday morning, representatives of the different political families will have an opportunity to meet the political groups of the European Parliament and, in the afternoon, Paavo Lipponen and Josep Borrell, Presidents of the Finnish Parliament and of the EP, will open the session. Working groups will then discuss the EU's future financing, the road to a European energy policy and the EU's role in conflict prevention. On Tuesday, results of the working groups will be presented to the plenary before the speeches by Matti Vanhanen, Finnish Prime Minister and President-in-Office of the European Council, and by José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission. After a general debate on the period of reflection after the deadlock over the European Constitution, Presidents Lipponen and Borrell will draw the conclusions of the meeting. For details, see: http://www.futureofeurope.europarl.europa.eu (mg).