Brussels, 09/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament in Brussels will host the second “Citizens' Agora” on Thursday 12 and Friday 13 June. 500 representatives from civil society and the European institutions will meet to discuss climate change. “Five major, challenging workshops” will be held, focussing on “issues of resources, economies and production,” said Gérard Onesta (Greens/EFA, France), who was behind the initiative which appeared in 2005 in reaction to the rejection by French and Dutch electors of the European constitution (see EUROPE 9541). Onesta opined that the Agora, as a “consultation body”, had the ability to “change the political climate”, particularly since civil society now, for the first time, had a forum where it could, in full transparency, pass on its positions to the European legislator.
How can action undertaken be continued? The reaction from the other institutions and European bodies, which will be represented at the highest level, has been positive, and this includes the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the Committee of the Regions which could see the Agora as a direct competitor. The idea going around is that the Agora should be further structured in order to formalise relations between Community institutions and bodies and civil society. Perhaps it would be possible to set up a permanent inter-institutional group along the lines of the consultative committees at the UN and the Council of Europe, Onesta suggested. This is an idea that finds favour with the incoming French Presidency. The topics of future consultations would be decided through inter-institutional consultation, the EP would remain responsible for deciding which organisations should take part, the EESC would direct relations with civil society, the Committee of the Regions would prepare future consultations by organising debates in the regions, and the Council would be responsible for cascading the outcome of the discussions in member states.
All those taking part in the Agora will go away with tree seeds to plant in order to offset CO2 emissions resulting from organising and holding this event. See http: //http://www.europarl.europa.eu/agora (M.B./transl. rt)