ECAS FORUM ON EUROPEAN CITIZENS ADVICE SERVICES
“ABC acquis”
2 – 3 December 2004,
6, Rond-Point Schuman, Scotland House, Brussels
Draft Programme
Thursday, 2 December 2004 – Venue: Scotland House, Brussels
10.00 hrs Arrival of delegates and organisation of stands
12.00 hrs General Assembly, Citizens Advice International
14.00 hrs Lunch Break and Registration
Welcome by ECAS and DG Enlargement
Keynote Speech Mrs Margöt Wallström, vice-president of the European Commission
Three A’s for Access to Europe
Chairman: David Harker* Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, UK
A1 Access to Information
Panel: Richard Upson ECAS adviser
Niels Thørgesen DG Press and Communication
Dorian Filote* NACAB, Romania
Geert Cami * Friends of Europe
Questions for discussion
Has awareness of European citizens rights increased with accession and in candidate countries? What more needs to be recommended to EU and national authorities? How can NGOs use and translate EU information?
A2 Access to advice
Panel: Siobhan Duffy Eurojus/Signpost Service
Hanna Gorska Union of Citizens Advice Bureau, Poland
Presentation of how advice services at the European and national level function
Questions for discussion
How have the existing advice services adapted to enlargement? Are they reaching the unreachable? What else more needs to be done in terms of training, volunteering and access to expert legal advice in EU affairs?
A3 Access to extra judicial and judicial remedies
Panel: Nicholas Leapman SOLVIT
Peter de Koning* Dutch Legal Aid Association
European Ombudsman’s office
Representative of the ECJ
Questions for discussion
How effective are instruments for administrative cooperation like SOLVIT? What are their limits? When is it necessary to appeal external bodies, including EU Institutions? When is it better to go to court? How can different approaches to enforcing European rights become more complementary?
Summing up on the 3 A’s by the Chairman
Reception at Scotland House
Friday, 3 December 2004 – Venue: Residence Palace, Brussels
10.00 hrs Three B’s for barriers to overcome
Chairman: Richard Upson or Claire Damilano ECAS *
Rapporteur: JAI *
B1 Borders and residence
Panel: Jakub Boratyński Stefan Batory Foundation
Laura Corrado* DG JAI
Monika Byrska Citizens Advice International
Questions for discussion
What happened after 1 May at intra EU borders and borders with the candidate and neighbouring countries? What is a realistic timeframe for the implementation of the Schengen acquis? How well have the directives on residence rights worked for the EU 25?
B2 Transitional arrangements for free movement of workers
Panel: Anna Turmann* CEPS
Sonia Boelaert * DG Employment and Social Affairs
Catelene Passchier* ETUC
Jean-François Maystadt* UNICE
Questions for discussion
With nearly all old Member States applying transitional arrangements what is happening in practice? Were restrictions used or were regimes more liberal? Is it clear where and when the transitional arrangements apply and where they do not?
B3 Recognition of professional qualifications
Panel: Jean-Marie Visée DG Markt
Roisin McCabe European Youth Forum
Questions for discussion
Are qualifications acquired in the new Member States easily recognised as equivalent in the 15? How well do the agencies set up for mutual recognition function? What evidence do we have about academic recognition?
Summing up on the 3 B’s by the Chairman
Rapporteur:
14.00hrs Three C’s on the Constitutional context
Chairman: Andrew Duff* MEP
Rapporteur: Jean Yves Carlier * academic lawyer
(or) Deidre Curtin academic lawyer
Setting the scene: Welcome by a representative of the Council.
Speech by Andrew Duff* (MEP and member of the Convention)
Questions
C1 The Constitutional Context
Panel: Nicholas Beger Act4Europe Campaign
Peter Norman Financial Times
A representative of the Council Presidency
Questions for discussion
Where do we stand with the Constitutional Treaty? Has it been changed by the IGC in areas affecting citizens rights? What are the implications for European citizenship rights? How is the discussion of the Constitutional treaty developing in new Member States?
C2 The Charter of Fundamental Rights
Panel: Robin Hannon European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland
Matthew Heim Legal advisor from The Centre
Alain Brun DG JAI
Questions for discussion
What are the latest developments on the use of the Charter by national courts and the European Court of Justice? Is it known in the new Member States? Were too many compromises made to incorporate the Charter in the new Treaty? What will be the future relationship between the EU and the Council of Europe on the protection of human rights?
C3 Citizenship of the Union
Panel: Tony Venables ECAS
University of Barcelona
Salla Saastamoinen DG JAI
Questions for discussion
Will a new Constitutional Treaty lead to strengthening European Citizenship? Why was this issue not given priority in the Convention? What proposals has the Commission made in its financial perspectives after 2006? Should there be a European citizens’ charter?
Summing up on the 3C’s by the Chairman
Rapporteur: Paul Magnette * – University Libre de Bruxelles *
* To be confirmed through future correspondence 4