Foreign Policies

Radacovsky: Form of Citizens Panels within CoFoE Proven Good

Brussels, March 3 (TASR) – The Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE) has stirred interest, but it needs more publicity and presentation of the recommendations adopted by its panels, Slovak MEP Miroslav Radacovsky (Non-Inscrits/NI) has told TASR.

Four citizens panels, comprised of 200 randomly selected citizens of EU countries, met as part of the CoFoE between September 2021 and February 2022. The European Parliament will deal with their recommendations at its plenary sessions. “In my opinion, the form of citizens panels has proven to be a good one. This project is correct and beneficial also in this respect,” said Radacovsky.

The MEP stated that certain expectations haven’t been met for objective reasons, such as the coronavirus pandemic. “The pandemic limited the movement of young people, which, of course, was reflected in the presentation of opinions,” he added.

Radacovsky said that he “doesn’t fully identify” with the second panel dealing with the rule of law, democracy and respect for human rights. “This is a sensitive issue concerning political views of the sovereignty of nation states within the European community. Opinions differ on this issue, and it requires an opportunity for much broader discussion,” he said.

The CoFoE has been organised by the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission. The initiative gives EU citizens an opportunity to express their opinions on its future direction. A total of 800 citizens’ representatives have been divided into four citizens panels, within which they have met three times.

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