- 1 -
Democracy in Europe: where do we stand?
A civil society perspective
8May2012
European Economic and Social Committee
99, rue Belliard, B - 1040 Brussels, Belgium
PROGRAMME
9.30 - 10.00Registration of participants
10.00 - 10.40 Opening session
Welcome addresses:
Staffan Nilsson, President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
Jean-Marc Roirant, President of the European Civic Forum (FCE), Co-chair of the EESC Liaison Group with European civil society organisations and networks
Key note speech byLars Trägårdh, Professorat the Institute for Civil Society Studies of Ersta Sköndal University College in Stockholm (Sweden):The role of civil society in reducing EU's democratic deficit: Nordic perspectives
10.40–13.00Session I: "The European democracy in light of the current crisis: who sets the agenda,How to reach legitimate decisions?"
Session facilitated byTim King, Editor in chief of European Voice
Introductory speech byStijn Smismans, Jean Monnet Chair in EU Law and Governance, Professor at the Centre for European Law and Governance, Cardiff Law School (United-kingdom): Should participatory democracy become the normative model for EU governance?
Speakers:
Isabelle Durant,Vice-President of the European Parliament:Does the EU still take legitimate decisions in times of crisis?
Katsuji Imata,Acting SecretaryGeneral of the World Alliance for Citizen Participation(CIVICUS): Nowadays challenges and opportunities for civil society participation in the life of theglobal community
Luca Jahier, president of the EESC Various Interests Group: An EESC Roadmap for Participatory Democracy
Conny Reuter, President of the Platform of European Social NGOs, member of the EESC Liaison Group:Can the democratic legitimacy of decision-making processes at EU level be increased?
General debate
13.00 - 14.30Lunch break
14.30 -16.00Session II: "How to promote ademocratic political culture:from local practices to European ones" (Parallel workshops)
Workshop 1:Strengthening democratic spaces for civil society in the European public sphere
Moderator:Cristian Pirvulescu, member of the EESC various Interests Group
Speakers:
Ariane Rodert,member of the EESC various Interests Group:Civil dialogue practices in Europe
Mathew Lowry,online communication strategist:Do we have a European online public sphere?
Giuseppe Porcaro,Secretary General of the European Youth Forum (YFJ), member of the EESC Liaison Group:Building a European Civic Space: the role of civil society organisations as "producers" of democracy
Workshop 2:Civil society organisations - key players to achieve European common good
Moderator:Erik Svensson, member of the EESC Employers' Group
Speakers:
Carlotta Besozzi, Director of the European Disability Forum (EDF), member of the EESCLiaison Group:Key current challenges of participation of civil societyin EU policy-making
Jérôme Verlhac, Doctor of Law:Can a statute for a European association make a difference?
Goran Forbici,Director, Centre of Information Service, Cooperation and Development of NGOs (CNVOS) (Slovenia):Institutionalizing public participation in decision-making in Slovenia – recent developments
Workshop 3:Living together:rethinking solidarity in a society of individuals
Moderator:Béatrice Ouin, member of the EESC Workers'Group
Speakers:
Raffaella Bolini, member of the National Presidency of the Association for Social Promotion ARCI (Italy):Is solidarity still the glue of European integration? How we can rethink solidarity in Europe today
Aitor Tinoco i Girona,Democratia Real Ya (Spain):Solidarity amongst the indignados in Europe:a different public, a different sphere?
Eric Favey, National Secretary of La Ligue de l’enseignement (France): How to recompose public action? How to renew democratic practices?
16.00 - 16.15Coffee break
16.15 – 17.30Closing session
Moderator:Jan Robert Suesser, Vice-President of the European Civic Forum (FCE), member of the EESC Liaison Group
Report on the three workshops by the moderators, followed by a general discussion.
ClosingspeechbyLousewies van der Laan,former member of the European Parliament and of the Dutch Parliament, independent democracy advisor: Future perspectives for democracy in Europe
Closing remarksby Jean-Marc Roirant, Co-chair of the Liaison Group with European civil society organisations and networks, and Staffan Nilsson, EESC President