DRAFT MINUTES
UEF BUREAU MEETING
Brussels27 – 28March 2010
Saturday 27thMarch 2009
9:00 – 11:00
The Bureau adopts the minutes of the last meeting
Christian Wenning, candidate for Secretary General introduces himself and replies to a series of questions of the Bureau members.
Following the interview, the Bureau members decide to recommend Christian Wenning for Secretary General of UEF to the Federal Committee.
The Bureau approves the new office and charges the secretariat to sign the contract.
DRAFT MINUTES
UEF FEDERAL COMMITTEE MEETING
Brussels 27 – 28 March 2010
Saturday 27th March 2009
11:00 – 20:00
The Presidiumwelcomes the participants and presents the agenda, which is approved by the Federal Committee.
Appointment of the Resolution Committee
The members of the FC approve the proposal of the Bureau appointing the members of the resolution committee as follow: Chairman Elina VIILUP;UEF Vice-President Guido MONTANI and Philipp AGATHONOS; for MFE: Lucio LEVI; for UEF Austria: FriedhelmFRISCHENSCHLAGER; for EUD: Rainer B.GIESEL; for the francophone sections of UEF: Paul FRIX. The Secretary General will assist the committee.
Presidium
The Presidium thanks Michele CIAVARINI AZZI for his work in the presidium. The Federal Committee welcomes Massimo MALCOVATI as new member of the Presidium.
Round table on Economic Governance and Financial Stability
Following the introduction by Andrew DUFF on Economic Governance and Financial Stability, Daniel GROS, Director of CEPS, states he crisis could have been foreseen: when there is a big private debt economists know that it will convert into public debt and hence into a crisis. He adds two points to his statement: first, that Europe should stop the ‘2020 strategy’ of the European Commission as it has been proven that cooperation doesn’t work and it only distracts the attention to what is really important; second that it is time for action. Even if it is late to save Greece, it is important that the EU creates a European Monetary Fund/European Stability Fund for the future.
Moreover, according to Daniel GROS regarding Greece, after the European Council meeting of this week it is clear that the International Monetary Fund route is dead, firstly because IMF can only intervene in case of a country insolvency and when the country can find funds in the markets it should be so and secondly because it was agreed that for a eurozone country to go to IMF unanimity in the Council is needed.
Finally, for the Director of CEPS, the EU should not only invest more but invest better. More integration doesnot require more money but more commitment to for example open Research Development to European competition rules.
Following the debate with the FC members, UEF President thanks Daniel GROS and CEPS for the input and annouces that UEF will publish a pamphlet based on the document submitted to the FC and the contributions to the debate.
Hearing of candidate for UEF Secretary General, Christian Wenning
Question:Catherine VIEILLEDENT(Groupe Europe), concerned about a conflict between the identities of the Secretary General candidate asks how Christian WENNING guarantees that there will not be a conflict and what measurements will he use to prove it.
Answer of Christian WENNING:If the question refers to my identity as a German, as a conservative German I cannot guarantee to not share the opinion of Angela Merkel i.e. on the issue of the solution of the financial crisis and I see no need to separate these identities as UEF is supposed to be politically diverse. If the question refers to my identity as an employee of Philip Morris International, I have to say that I am proud of the fact that I was able to manage to make politics driving not only my volunteer life but also my professional life. How can I guarantee it? I will answer like some of the Commissioners did during the Hearings, I have to ask you to trust me.
Question: Catherine VIEILLEDENT(Groupe Europe), asks the candidate to be more concrete: Will UEF be a subsidiary of Philip Morris International? Will he ask Philip Morris International to financially subsidise UEF? Is the candidate aware of the fact that there are rules to this given by the Commission linked to the grant UEF gets?
Answer of Christian WENNING:I am aware that there are rules given by the Commission linked to the grant we get and that OLAF will have an even closer look to the grants as it did in the past. If we get money by legal companies or associations is up to you. But even if you decide to ask for fundings, maybe starting with the next Federal Committee diner, which I find worth considering, it would be stupid to run to my boss and ask for money. As soon as the Logo of Philip Morris International appears, which is illegal in Belgium anyway, I would be known for the rest of my volunteer life as well as in my professional life as the one who mixes up the things.
Question:Mario GRECO(Groupe Europe), asks how Christian WENNING wants to strengthen the coordination of the sections? And how he plans to face the budgetary problems?
Answer of Christian WENNING: the key for the coordination of the sections is the exploitation of communication tools. As we will not be able to travel around and help hands on everywhere. To learn from each other, to get response and respect that is formulated in newsletters, in pictures, in reports, in coordinating the calendars in order to get an overview what happens and to trigger cooperate with whom.
Concerning the budgetary problem. Honestly spoken I cannot say a lot as I was not entitled to get the full information since I am only candidate. Nevertheless I was of course interested in the issue and I have learned that due to a good work, the debt has been moved into a cashflow problem. I want to follow up on this and invite you to regularly assess the situation with me.
Question:Hugo FERRUTA (MFE) asks how Christian WENNING plans to strengthen the weaker sections of the organisation organisation, and how he will organize the UEF secretatiat staff as he will be a volunteer Secretary General?
Answer of Christian WENNING:The organisation needs to be visible in order to get attractive. As mentioned I want to use communication tools on policies, activities and events in the sections to inform our members and instigate a sense of cooperation. The staff should work along priorities in six pillars on which we can build the UEF as organisation. These are Finance, Actions, Statutory Bodies, Policies, Communication and Membership. I have elaborated a plan how we can organise this in my function as volunteer Secretary General. I try to create a fortnightly reporting system that leads to a monthly report to the Bureau.
Question:Ivan GOVERS(UEF.be) asks the candidate how he intends to bring more profit to the UEF as you do not earn the money in the UEF but probably have more to financially earn in your job?
Answer of Christian WENNING:I hope to earn the respect of the all of you in spending my leisure time in an efficient way to make UEF profit from the experience that I gain through my profession.
Question:Marc-Oliver PAHL (EUD) asks how Christian WENNING wants to tackle the conflict that appeared in Berlin? How do you want to politically organise the Association?
Answer of Christian WENNING:I am very aware of some ideological divergencies between the sections. As far as I learned they are based in competing positions. Some want UEF to offer a visionary approach to the political elite and citizens, some follow a pragmatic approach that addresses rather concrete questions of everyday policies. I firmly believe that this must not compete. I am here to listen and to learn but one solution might be that we give room for visions. We can embed visionary positions i.e. on one European Army on a real constitution and a real European Government into a clearly identifiable basket of our overall objectives that follow ideals. Next to that we can go as brother in arms with positions that address concrete questions such as the accountability of the EEAS to the parliament or to solutions on the financial crisis. (Questions on Organisation answered en bloc further above).
Question:As the Commission has a plan 2020, Arielle ROUBY (Groupe Europe) asks the candidate for Secretary general what is his plan 2012? What is his approach on campaigning, on the EEAS, as weel as on the organisation.
Answer of Christian WENNING:I will go on with the modernization of the organisation as Joan Marc SIMON has been doing the last two years. I will report on that in two years according to the system that I already mentioned.
Question:Lawrence FULLICK (Federal Union) asks how he wants to enhance the cooperation between EMI, UEF and JEF and whether he plans to travel to the sections.
Answer of Christian WENNING:I want to leverage on the firm link we have with JEF and EMI. We should coordinate better in putting together what we can do best. We need to regularly exploit the possible synergies in actions and office capacities. I already had very good and fruitful discussions with Diogo Pinto and Philippe Adrienssens. And of course I want to try to find a profit for UEF in working for Philip Morris International. I can imagine combining the professional travelling to sections with a weekend for UEF.
Question:Michele CIAVARINI AZZI (UEF.be) asks if once elected, Christian CIAVARINI intends to take over the political responsibilities that a Secretary General has, especially in motivating the members and sections to participate more than happened in the past.
Answer of Christian WENNING:If the FC wants a GS who takes over the political responsibility over the efforts of UEF to motivate the members and the sections then please change the statues. The GS does conducts your resolutions and has not even an official vote to influence the Bureau. I cannot take responsibility if you fail. The FC should think about this question and deliver on it. Of course I am interested in our policies and want to involve. I will promise to wake up and go to bed with our federalist cause in my mind.
Question:In view of the professional experience of the candidate, VelkovIVANOV (UEF Bulgaria) asks how hewant to sell the brand UEF.
Answer of Christian WENNING:I will try my best to establish a language that is short and understandable for our members and with the aim to attract new members. I can imagine changing the mentioning of a unknown abbreviation into a visible brand of “The Federalists”. I have some ideas but I invite you to think about this with me over the next months and year.
The federal Committee elects Christian WENNING new Secretary General of the UEF with 55 votes in favour, 5 against and 11 abstentions.
Activity report by UEF Secretary General Joan Marc SIMON
Opening about the work of the secretariat over the last six months, Joan Marc SIMON explains how it has been consolidating structures, tools and finances in the absence of campaign work.
On Communications, the secretariat has modernized the organization with improved or new communication tools: Press releases are now release according to the agenda; mailing lists have replaced mailing via post; online newsletters have replaced letters; online applications have replaced faxes; donation forms can be found online, and it is now also possible to become member of UEF online.
Joan Marc SIMON ads that more important than the tools is making the communication flow. This is difficult in a pan-european, multi-cultural, multi-lingual organization but thanks to the good use of the tools he believes having managed to make communication flow and a dedicated effort was made to updatethe FC members about what was happening in Brussels.
Few weeks before the Federal Committee meeting a new newsletter was set up with a new concept: to let Brussels know one of Federalists biggest assets which is that, different to many other NGOs and think-tanks, we have a European network of citizens working for a political Europe.
Thanks to the work of UEF President Andrew DUFF the UEF has also increased its presence and the political impact of the Federalits in Brussels.
Joan Marc SIMON announces that a very thorough report will be online next week on the activities of UEF international. Looking back, the European Secretariat is proud of what the organisation has done with the limited resources.
During the European Parliament elections campaign, UEF has proven that the right campaign can mobilize people and forces. It was the occasion to experiment the first-time ever online federalist campaigning, that brought fruits and prepared a structure that can be activated in the near future. Both the campaigns for EP elections and Who-is-Your-Candidate had measurable impacts and high value for money output and confirmed that the visibility and relevance of the Federalists very much depend on having the right campaign.
Refering to the creation of new sections, Joan Marc SIMON with the help of Bureau members tried to start new sections in Rumania, Spain and Serbia, only with success in Serbia. This experience shows that the support from UEF is useful but what will determine the success in creating a new section is the commitment from the people at local level.
Since the last Congress, the organisation tried to bring in a generational and gender change in the Bureau that unfortunately did not succeed. However as the new Secretary general is also a former member of JEF, there should be some continuation in this path: if the average age of the Federal Committee has gone down, the organisation should persue buidling its present and future. The organisation still is missing one generation, and Joan Marc SIMON warns the members about the gap between young people and conservatism whilst old people are being more idealist, internal differences that enrich the organisation and that it cannot afford to lose.
Finally, reporting on the efforts made over the last two years on improving the finances of the organisation, Joan Marc SIMON explain that the main work was to bring in transparency and method to the finances. Thanks to the work of the Director Mana LIVARDJANI and monitoring of the Treasurer Olivier HINNEKENS, the finances of UEF are now well in order.
Joan Marc SIMON announces the moving in a close future of the Secretariat. From first of May the staff will move to a office situation Square de Meeus, next to European Movement Building, in principle without JEF.
Joan Marc SIMON concludes that very soon UEF will be in conditions to start organizing things again, leaving the role to the FC and the bureau to define what should UEF focus on and also decide on what strategy to use to put UEF message across.
In a multipolar world, UEF has the role to remind Europeans of where Europe comes from and keep the EU in the right path.UEF has also a role in world governance – EU integration is almost achieved but the big challenge for the future when it comes to environment but also energy, trade, etc. is make democracy rule the economy.
Joan marc SIMON announces to the Federal Committee members his plan to devote part of his future activism to WFM and offers to liase between both organizations which have so much to learn from each other.
The Federal Committee thanks Joan Marc SIMON for the work accomplished during his mandates and dismisses him.The Federal Committee co-opts Joan Marc SIMON as FC member.
Report from the UEF Treasurer Olivier HINNEKENS
The Treasurer presents the bilan of 2008 and, profit and loss 2009, the current cash flow situation and the prevision until June 2010.
The Internal Auditor Inge DOHRMANN-NOWAK presents her conclusion for the financial year 2008.
The Federal Committee approves the accounts of 2008 and dismisses the treasurer for the exercise 2008.
Presentation of paper on the framework action plan/Campaign of UEF
Guido MONTANI presents the paper drafted by him and endorsed by the bureau. The document aims to be a political road map for the organisation. He further explains that the resolution is divided in three parts:
-How to exploit the Lisbon Treaty
-Find an agreement on a ‘campaign’. Propose a provision slogan for the campaign “For a European Federation”
-Framework for the UEF “Citizens’ network for a Federal Union”
Debate on the framework action plan for the federalists 2010-2015
The proposals for resolutions are presented and discussed by the Federal Committee members.
Sunday 28thMarch 2009
09:30 – 12:00
Debate and Voting on resolutions
(cf. the adopted resolutions in annexe)
The Federal committee designates Maja AUGUSTYN and Mana LIVARDJANI as tellers.
The Federal Committee adopts a motion to carry the Proposal for resolution submitted by UEF Franceto the next FC meeting.
Presentation of the follow up on the UEF internal reform process
Philipp AGATHONOS present the situation of membership and size of UEF in European member states, and compares the figures to those of the European Movement. He stresses that the number of members does not reflect the number of activities, and that the Bureau will continue to follow up on the issue and regularly report to the Federal Committee members on the progress accomplished.