FUTURE OF EUROPE: PLAN D TO STEP UP PRESSURE ON MEMBER STATES TO LAUNCH DEBATE.

The Communication, a copy of which has been obtained by Europe Information, is the Commission's contribution to the "period of reflection" agreed by EU leaders at their summit meeting in June as a response to the rejection of the EU Constitution by voters in France and the Netherlands. Each member state was meant to organise a broad debate with representatives of national parliaments, governments and civil society with the Commission playing special role.

The document highlights the fact that public confidence in the EU's institutions is waning, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey of public opinion, although nearly half of those polled said they wanted the EU to have a great role over the next five years. The Commission notes that while a "lively debate" is already underway in some member states, in others it has yet to start while in some it needs to be "intensified and broadened". While each national debate will address different issues, the paper says that these debates need to be structured so that the feedback can have a direct impact on the EU's policy agenda. In particular, this "listening exercise" should lead to clear results that are taken on board at the end of the period of reflection.

Added value.

The Commission believes that, while debates in member states will reflect national and local concerns, there should be a focus on the added-value of the EU membership and the concrete benefits of Community action in certain areas. It recommends a focus on:

- Europe's economic and social development (including the capacity to generate growth and create jobs, and the Lisbon Strategy and the reforms necessary to improve competitiveness);

- Feeling towards Europe and the Union's tasks (concrete benefits in citizens' daily lives such as on food safety, the single currency, consumer protection, etc., plus future tasks for EU such as justice, liberty and security or dealing with climate change);

- Europe's borders and the world (the prospect of enlargement, relations with Europe's neighbours, Europe's role in dealing with globalisation, environmental threats, mobility, security and development).

The Commission paper says that there should be an initial feedback process in April 2006 when a first set of conclusions from the national debates can be drawn. The Commission is advocating holding a European conference on "Europe day", May 9, 2006, on the future of Europe involving civil society, representatives of member states and...