England Expects 2

Black is white

2008-02-28T02:13:00.000-08:00

Black is White: Government Deception and the Galileo Project
By Gawain Towler

The Author

Gawain Towler is currently the Press Officer for the UK Independence Party MEPs in the European Parliament. He is a former freelance journalist and was the founder and co-editor of the Brussels based investigative/satirical magazine "The Sprout". He is the author of numerous articles on European policy in Britain and abroad and was the author of the Bruges Group papers "Another Slice of the Salami: How the European Criminal Code is being introduced by stealth", "The Convention on the European Constitution: Where we are now" and "The Dashwood text on the Constitution of Europe". He was also lead-author of the Centre for Policy Studies paper "Bloc Tory: A new Party for Europe", with Dr Lee Rotherham and Emmanuel Bordez .
He blogs at http://englandexpects.blogspot.com/

He stood for the Conservative Party in Glasgow in the 2001 General election and the 2003 Scottish election. He was recently selected as the UKIP PPC for North Dorset.

Contents

Introduction

Background

Government Evasion

Conclusion

Introduction
In writing this short paper I have made a number of assumptions. First and foremost of these is that the readership is aware of the long and convoluted history of the European Galileo project. Other writers have explained it better than I ever could and I would point you to Richard North's admirable paper 'Galileo: The Military and Political Dimensions[1]'. This paper concentrates on the most recent developments and the obvious disinformation being provided by the Government to Parliamentary Questions that illustrate the essential dishonesty and near panic within government at the state of the whole Galileo project

Background
Galileo is designed as a rival to the American GPS system as was made explicit by the 2002 EU paper "The European Dependence on US-GPS and the Galileo Initiative".[2]

Though the paper explicitly states that "Galileo should be implemented as a civilian system independent from GPS" it also points out the military and security importance for Europe to be independent of the US system.

The next problem faced by EU policy makers having decided that Galileo should be launched is how to pay for it. At first all were assured that the lion's share of the finance should come from the private sector. However over the past couple of years those plans have come to naught as industry has realised quite what a white elephant Galileo had become. Though the focus on the non-military side had been repeated ad nauseum over the years[3], it was swiftly becoming apparent that for simple economic reasons that the whole project was unsustainable without significant taxpayer input.

How best to persuade the taxpayer? Tell them it is for their security. So Jacques Barrot, the EU Transport Commissioner and convicted felon stated on 12 October 2006,

“Galileo was supposed to be a civilian system only, but I wonder whether we shouldn’t question that.
“Using it for military purposes, for defence purposes…. would be very interesting in terms of paying for the infrastructure and investment.”
Interestingly he went on to say “some EU states opposed using the system for military means because of potential US opposition, but he said he did not think Washington would object to such a move”[4].

This was just restating official French policy on the Galileo project that was first publicised by the then French Defence Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie in December 2004 when she said that Galileo "will be available to the armed forces[5]." This was in direct contravention to Brussels' agreed public line, but had been as has been seen part of the project from the start.

The financing problems have yet to go away. On March 20th 2007 a peculiar document appeared in the Commission press room. Unsigned and unheralded it was titled in that marvellous technocratic style so loved by those who wish things not to be read, "Didactic synthesis on the Galileo concession contract" This document has no web existence at all, but was very revealing as to the then state of play.
The most important section of the paper talks about “current difficulties”. Some of these were aired in the Financial Times, in which Gerard Batten MEP described the Galileo satellite system as beginning to resemble “Airbus in Space”. Indeed Paul Verhoef, Galileo programme manager at the EU commission appeared to think likewise. "Galileo is now being compared with the Airbus situation," he says. "Unfortunately that analysis is correct[6]."
The suspicion has to be that the shadowy "Didactic sythesis" document was either written by, or with the knowledge of Mr Verhoef.
The key problem identified within it seems to be this,“International competition does not await Europe. The United States are currently working to improvement (sic) the GPS which should become operational around 2013-2014. Russia is working on their GLONASS constellation. The Chinese have just launched a new navigation satellite, the Japanese are working at a regional improvement system of the GPS, etc. The window of opportunity for Galileo is not extensible ad infinitum”.And it is this competition that was beginning to scare Brussels.
The current difficulties lie in the internal problems within the candidate consortium regarding the reparation of tasks: some have a different interpretation of the content of the agreement reached on 5 December 2005 under Mr Van Miert’s[7] mediation. Moreover, the consortium is reticent to commit itself on a firm and fixed costs before the conclusion of several important stages of the programme (certainty that needs are well met before deployment phase). Finally, the lack of certainty on the amount of the expected revenues does not incite the concessionaire to accelerate the process.a)IndustryFirstly internal disagreements within the eight companies of the candidate consortium (“Merged Consortium”) made it impossible for them to set up an adequate common legal entity necessary for the negotiations of the concession contract. This means first, al decisions need to be unanimously taken by all 8 companies and on the other hand, the CEO of the entity has still not been nominated. The solidity of the issues already agreed upon is therefore is weaken.The situation, originating from the grouping of large European industries, seems inescapable since the problems encountered earlier with Galileo Industries are happening now with the candidate consortium. However the lack of agreement is becoming, at this stage, very alarming indeed.b) Conception risks (“design risks”)Secondly, the private sector still expresses some doubts regarding the technical design of certain elements. Let’s recall that satellite navigation represents a challenge for Europe.c)Confirmation of the costsThe private sector will only be ready to definitively confirm the overall costs once it has received proposals from its calls for tenders for all the systems and subsystems and when industrial offers will have been negotiated and lead to the conclusion of the contracts. However, this procedure takes time and will not be able, in any case, to be finalised in 2007. It is today highly possible for the signature of the concession contract, with a firm and final commitment to costs, only to occur around mid-2009.d) Responsibilities to third partiesDiscussions are still on-going regarding the treatment of the risks vis-à-vis third parties. It is difficult to evaluate the damages potentially created to users in case Galileo cannot provide its services. In this event, the damages claims from users could reach amounts which would be very difficult to insure. Consequently, the intervention of the public sector might be necessary.
Rarely has there been a more pessimistic forecast produced by the European Commission.

With the wheels coming off the project, and with such huge sums of capital, both economic and political invested, there is no way that the project is going to be allowed to wither on the vine, as it certainly would if private financing was required. No company could or can justify to its shareholders the massive expense at the risk of such little return, or indeed at the risk of such additional, un-programmed costs.

The only answer that remains is to charge the tax payer. But how? Given the state of the EU's finances as a whole and the great debate over national contributions to the EU budget, there is precious little chance of extra monies being handed over from National exchequers to be spent on something that has so many fundamental flaws. It would be an impossible sell to the National electorates.

Indeed at the Transport Council of 6/8th June 2007 EU Transport Ministers put out this statement in which they,
2. CONCLUDES that the current concession negotiations have failed and should be ended;
but,
4. REAFFIRMS the value of Galileo as a key project of the European Union;

Thus they have to find the money for the project from pre agreed cash. (We are talking 2.6 billion Euros here - or thereabouts, not the sort of stuff you can find down the back of the sofa). The target is the Framework Program Budget. Which is big enough, but here be dragons. Most of this money has already been allocated to projects. Nobody is willing to see their pet project, from tidal power to the European Institute for Technology being mugged.

In order to square this circle the Commission is having to look within for funding and it has alighted upon the Agricultural Budget[8]. Which is nothing if not contentious.

Government Evasion

In the light of all this and the report by the Commons Transport Committee which in the words of Gwyneth Dunwoody its redoubtable Chairman described Galileo thus,
"This is not one pig flying in orbit, this is a herd of pigs with gold trotters, platinum tails and diamond eyes and we ought to be asking ourselves, where is our common sense. Are we really saying that we are so frightened of the Americans that we must fling gold bars at something that we don't even know is going to work?[9]"

The report itself was equally damning if not quite so lurid,
Phase 3 of the project, the deployment phase, has yet to begin. This is by far the most costly pre-operational phase, and yet projected costs have already risen significantly. When we produced our last report on Galileo in 2004, the total cost of Phase 3 was estimated to be €2.1 billion, of which the PPP concessionaire was supposed to pay €1.4 billion and the European Union would have paid €700m. The current cost estimate for phase 3 is €3.4 billion – an increase of some 60 percent in three years.Apart from the increase in overall costs, the collapse of the PPP means that European tax payers are likely to end up financing the project in its entirety, facing an effective cost increase of 385 percent to the taxpayer. This means an increased commitment from the public purse of at least €2.4 billion from now on, just to get the system into orbit. To this should be added an estimated £5.5 billion over 20 years to operate the Galileo system – an estimated £275 million per year[10].

Some extremely interesting Parliamentary Questions have been asked by John Hayes, the Conservative MP and Lord Pearson the UK Independence Party peer. The answers are in themselves revealing.

First off the blocks on February 5th 2008 came Lord Pearson when he asked
"Further to the debate on 17 January what were the circumstances in which the commercial backers for the European Union's Galileo project declined to proceed?"

The debate had skirted over the question of funding, with the Government claiming that "The total estimated costs to 2030 are estimated to be something like £7.8 billion." This despite warning from Mrs Dunwoody's Committee in November that the total cost would be in the order of £20 billion. The reasons for the mess were not even touched upon.

In response to the question Lord Mallloch-Brown answered for the Government that,
"The European Commission's working document of May 2007 accompanying the Commission Communication 'Galileo at a crossroad: The implementation of the European GNSS Programmes'[11], suggested that reasons for the failure included continuous unresolved disputes over the share of industrial work, unresolved negotiations on the transfer of design risk, the technical complexity of the programme, and insufficiently strong and clear public governance. Ministers at the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council in June endorsed the Commission's analysis, and concluded that the deployment phase of the programme would best be carried out with an alternative procurement model".

This answer sets the scene and merely confirms what we have known for a while. The next day’s question then tried to find justification for a rather wild claim by the Government, in the person of Lord Bassam last month in debate where this exchange took place,

Pearson had asked a direct question about where the funds were coming from
"Can he give the amount that has been raided from the agricultural budget to meet the cost of this project, against the Government's wishes?

At this point the minister made the £7.8 billion costs claim and followed it up with a statement denying the involvement of the EU's Agricultural budget,
"I cannot agree with the noble Lord when he asserts that there has been a raid on the agricultural budget to pay for it" and then made a claim about the project economic benefits, "It is estimated that there will be benefits to UK business of something like £14 billion by 2025".

In a shift of the Governments flint opposition to the use of Galileo as a military project he also conceded,
"The project is designed primarily as a civil system; it is part of our partnership with our European neighbours. There obviously are concerns about its military use, but it has been defined and agreed as a civil system since its inception".

There of course being a world of difference between a definition and a reality. The reality remember having been flagged up by the French nearly four years earlier.

However back to Pearson. He followed these questions on the 6th of February by questioning the economic claims
"Further to the remarks by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 17 January (Official Report, cols. 1416—9), how the estimate of the Galileo project's contribution to the United Kingdom economy of £14 billion by 2025 was made?"

Lord Malloch-Brown responded, subtly, but crucially undermining the earlier claims about the positive impact of the Galileo project on the UK economy.
"The figures were calculated by ESYS Consulting Ltd[12] in an independent study for the Department for Transport and the British National Space Centre, assessing the likely benefits for UK industry from having access to both Galileo and the Global Positioning System. The study concluded that under the most likely scenario, the total cumulative UK Global Navigation Satellite System(GNSS) benefits from 2013 to 2025 was likely to be £14.2 billion".

What is interesting is the change in the Government position over the month. Whereas Lord Bassam claimed that £14 billion over the period due to Galileo, Malloch-Brown has now changed this to include both Galileo and the free to use American GPS system. So what we have here is a claim that over a period of 13 years the two satellite systems combined will raise the sums. Looking at the report itself, the £14 billion figure is not the most likely option, but instead the most optimistic forecast.

Cumulative total GNSS downstream benefits £B from 2006 to 2025
Scenario
No discount
6% Discount
8% Discount
Most Likely
18.25
9.08
7.40
Optimistic
36.30
17.75
14.39
Pessimistic
13.79
7.21
5.97
Source: UK GNS Downstream Benefits Assessment: ESYS 20/12/2007

At no point in the study are the exclusive benefits to be accrued from Galileo itself itemised. In fact the report goes to some lengths to point this out. Given that the market for GNSS products is already maturing and that currently the American GPS system current holding a monopoly position in that market it is fair to assume that even in the event of Galileo being a technical success market inertia will favour GPS. Then factor in the issue of GPS development and it becomes highly unlikely that Galileo will have much market share outside European Governmental contracts. The private sector will go with what they know to work and what is free to use. Thus the benefits to the economy waved at the House of Lords are dicey at best and dishonest at worst.

Then again if we look into the authors of this Report ESYS Consulting Ltd, then we discover that this is hardly some independent body. On its website it states[13],
ESYS supported the Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU) on ProDDAGE, the Programme for Development and Demonstration of Applications for Galileo and EGNOS. The GJU is responsible for the Development and Validation Phase of Galileo (2002 to 2005), and covers the detailed definition and subsequent manufacture of the various system components: satellites, ground components, user receivers. ProDDAGE consists of a consortium of companies and organisations, led by ESYS, working closely with the GJU to ensure that the Galileo programme achieves sustainability.

Far from being an independent study the Governments evidence comes direct from a company whose entire profitability relies upon the success and continuation of the Galileo project. It is like asking Sam Colt if bullets might be profitable.

The Consortium led by ESYS is also revealing including as it does,
ESYS plc, Helios Technology, ESSP, ECORYS, Nottingham Scientific, ERTICO, Alcatel Space, Bombadier Rail, Thales GeoSolutions

All of whom are in receipt of significant grants or contracts from the EU.

That is in the light of the answer given by Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman to John Hayes on the 20th February.

Hayes had asked,
"Who the EU public private partnership concessionaire is of the Galileo operational phase".
The answer came back,
"It is made up of Aena, Alcatel, EADS, Finmeccanica, Hispasat, Inmarsat, TeleOp and Thales".

Pearson's latest contribution was to point out the discrepancy between the Governments position as to where the funds would be coming from and what the European Commission had been saying,

According to Euractive.com[14] Barrot said,
"The Commission proposes to fully finance the €3.4 billion required to launch Galileo with Community funds. €1 billion is already foreseen for this purpose in the Community financial framework for 2007-2013, whereas it proposes a revision of the multiannual financial framework permitting the use of unused funds and remaining margins for other policies within the EU budget, and thus providing the extra €2.4 billion.
"For 2007, the margin in agriculture is €2 billion and for 2008, €2.5 billion,"

Pearson asked on the 18th February ,
'Further to the Answer by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 17 January (Official Report, col. 1417) which denied that the Galileo project is being funded from the European Union's agricultural budgets, whether that Answer is consistent with the statement of Mr Jacques Barrot, Vice-President of the Commission, on 19 September 2007?

The Government whip Lord Bach in a statement of pure 'black is white' answered,
"Yes. The statements of the noble Lord and Mr Barrot are consistent".

What Bach did not say was that until November of 2007 he was the Chairman of the Board of a firm called SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems SpA, a wholly owned subsidiary of the above named Finmeccanica. Selex was formerly the British firm BAE Systems Avionics until it was bought out by the Italians and was renamed on January1st SELEX GALILEO.

Conclusion

This is certainly not the end of the story, but it is an update. What we can reveal is that the levels of dishonesty and deception being used by the Government over Galileo seem to have no bounds.

Of course the coda to all of this is that in the end all the financial shenanigans may be irrelevant. The Commission only have to wait a short while for real funding to arrive. It will of course not be coming from the private sector.

In the Treaty of Lisbon which as everybody knows is going through the ratification process is the Article 2C/3 makes it very clear,
"In the areas of research, technological development and space, the Union shall have competence to carry out activities, in particular to define and implement programmes";

This was something that had been removed from the original Constitution during the European Convention but like energy policy has returned in the new Treaty. Its effect will be that the Commission will be able to fund Galileo as it sees fit.

The final words should go to the Transport Select Committee's report,
We fear that Galileo's status as a flagship grand projet is clouding the judgement of some in relation to its true, realistic and proven merits. An atmosphere that does not allow the continued rationale for the full Galileo programme to be questioned appears to have enveloped Brussels. But no amount of perceived prestige and status derived from competing in a civilian space race and no amount of vague but euphoric anticipation of enormous economic and employment benefits can make up for rigorous and balanced analysis of costs and benefit.
None of the three key EU institutions has seen fit to cool the overheated atmosphere by ensuring that proper comprehensive analyses and cost-benefit evaluations are undertaken before any further decisions are made.
[1] http://www.brugesgroup.com/mediacentre/index.live?article=221
[2] http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/energy_transport/galileo/doc/gal_european_dependence_on_gps_rev22.pdf
[3] http://ec.europa.eu/comm/space/programmes/galileo_en.html
[4] Financial Times 13/10/2006 call to consider EU's Satellite for Military Use
[5] DefenceNews.com 30/11/2004 French Military can use Galileo: Defence minister
[6] Financial Times 15/3/200 Profit doubts hit Galileo development
[7] Karel Van Miert, Former Vice President of the Commission was appointed by Jacques Barrot in October 2005 to act as "Mediator for Galileo".
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/1345&format=PDF&aged=1&language=EN&guiLanguage=fr

[8] http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2787839,00.html

[9] BBC Radio 4 Today program. 12/11/2007
[10] http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmtran/53/53.pdf
[11] http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/energy_transport/galileo/doc/staff_doc_galileo_en_final_16052007.pdf
[12] http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/scienceresearch/technology/downstreamstudy.pdf
[13] http://esys.co.uk/content/view/25/32/
[14] http://www.euractiv.com/en/science/galileo-funding-guarantee-eu-strategic-autonomy/article-166882

List of Agora Participants

2007-11-08T02:06:00.000-08:00

CEE bank watch
Fondation Robert Schuman
International Council of Environmental Law (ICEL)
Trans European Policy Studies Association - Tepsa
World Federation of Democratic Youth
"Ovidiu Sincai" Institute Foundation
"The Smile of the Child" (NGO) Centre for Missing & Exploited Children
A.I.P.F.E. International Association for the Promotion of Women in Europe
ACDIC (association citoyenne de défense des intérêts collectifs)
ACLU
ACODEV
act4europe
Action Aid
Action Aid Kenya
Action Aid Mozambique
Action Aid Senegal
ActionAid International
AEGEE Europe - European Students' Forum
Afaemme, Association of Organisations of Mediterranean Businesswomen
AFAMMER CORREDOR DEL EBRO
AFCO
AFEM - Association des Femmes Meridionales
AFET
AGE
AGE - the European Older People's Platform
Alfred Mozer Stichting - AMS
ALLIANCE DES DEMOCRATES INDEPENDANTS EN EUROPE
ALLIANCE LIBRE EUROPEENNE
ALLIANCE POUR L'EUROPE DES NATIONS
Allianssi - Finnish Youth Co-operation Allianssi
Amnesty International
Amnesty International European Union Office
Amnesty International European Union Office
APRODEV - Association of World Council of Churches related Development organisations in Europe
Asociace pro evropské hodnoty (European Values)
Asociace pro mezinárodní otázky (Association for Foreign Affairs)
Asociatia de Drept International si Relatii Internationale (ADIRI)
Assemblée permanente des chambres de métiers
Association au Service de l'Action Humanitaire
Association des Femmes de l’Europe Méridionale (AFEM)
Association for World Education
Associazione UBIK - laboratorio sociale
ATD Fourth World International Movement
ATD Fourth World International Movement
Autism Europe
Autism Europe
Babel International
Babes-Bólyai Kezdeményező Bizottság (Protection of Minority Rights in Rumania)
Bar Council of England and Wales
Bertelsmann Stiftung
Biedrība "Latvijas Platforma attīstības sadarbībai" (LAPAS)
BirdLife International European Community Office
BOND - British Overseas NGOs for Development
Buiseness Europe
Bulgarian Coordination of EWL
Bureau of International Recycling
BYC - British Youth Council
Caritas Europa
Caritas Europa
Caritas Europa
Casa Europei
CBM - Christian Blind Mission
CEE Bankwatch Network
CEGES
Centre Analyse stratégique
Centre for European Economic Research, Mannheim
Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)
Centre for European Reform
Centre for European Reform
Centre for Public Policy PROVIDUS
Centre for Civil Society,
Centrum Europejskie Natolin
Centrum Młodych Dyplomatów
Centrum Stosunków Międzynarodowych
CEPS - Centre for European Policy Studies
Cercle de Coopération des ONG de Développement
CFSI (Comité Français pour la Solidarité Internationale)
CGJL - General Confederation of Luxembourg Youth
Chatham House The Royal Institute of International Affairs
Choisir la cause des femmes
Christian Solidarity Worldwide
CIDSE - International cooperation for development and solidarity
Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria
Civil Jogász Bizottság (Committee for Human Rights)
CJE - Spanish Youth Council
CLEF - Coordination Française pour le Lobby Européen des Femmes
Climate Action Network Europe
Club of Madrid
Club Romania-UE
CNAJEP - Committee for the National andInternational Relations of Youth andCommunity Education Associations
CNCD-11.11.11
CNJ - Portuguese National Youth Council
CNJC - National Youth Council of Catalonia
CNONGD
Coalition Against Trafficking in Women - International
Coalition for the International Cirminal Court
COGEN - (cogeneration)
Combined European bureau for Social Development (CEBSD)
Combined European bureau for Social Development (CEBSD)
Commission Féminine du Mouvement Européen du Luxembourg
Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community- COMECE
Committee of European Securities Regulators
Committee on the Administration of Justice
Community of Protestant Churches in Europe
Concord
Concord
Concord
Confederation of Family Organisations in the European Union (COFACE)
Confederation of Family Organisations in the European Union (COFACE)
Confrontations Europe
CONGAD
CONGDE
CONGDE (Coordinadora de ONGD para el Desarrollo Espana)
Conseil des Femmes Francophones de Belgique, Centre Amazone
Conseil National des Femmes du Luxembourg
Consiglio Italiano per i RIfugiati
Consumers International
Coordinadora Espanola para el Lobby europeo de Mujeres (CELEM)
Coordinamento Italiano della Lobby Europea delle Donne, LEF Italia
Coordination of Greek Women's NGOs for the EWL
Coordination SUD
COPA - Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations
COPROGRAM
Council of European Municipalities and Regions
CRIJ - Council for International Youth Relations ofthe French-speaking Community of Belgium
Croatian Women's Network
CTR - The Romanian Youth Council
Cultural Center for Development and Promotion of Peace, Human Rights and Democracy
CYC - Cyprus Youth Council
Czech Forum for Development Co-operation FoRS
Czech Institute of International Relations
Czech Women's Lobby
Danish EU-NGO National Platform
Danish Institute for International Affairs
December 18
Democracy Coalition / Club of Madrid
DEMYC - Democrat Youth Community of Europe
Deutscher Frauenrat / National Council of German Women's Organizations
Deutsches Institut für Internationale Politik und Sicherheit
DEVE
Disability Awareness in Action
DNK - German National Committee forInternational Youth Work
DOCHAS- Irish organisations of Non-governmental Development Organisations
Draft of the final list of Non-Governmental Organisations to be invited to participation
DROI
Dublin European Institute
DUF - Danish Youth Council
ECAS - European Citizen Action Service
Ecosocial Forum
ECOSY - Young European Socialists
ECRE (European Council on Refugees and Exiles)
EDS - European Democrat Students
Eduardo Frei Stichting
EGGO - European Green Gender Observatory
Electronic frontiers
ELISA-MEDICOPTERE
Élőlánc
EMPL
ENERGIE-CITES - (network of cities)
Enfant refugie du monde
Engender
ENL - National Youth Council of Estonia
EPIC (Electronic Privacy information centre)
E-Quality
EREF - European Renewable Energies Federation -
ESIB - National Unions of Students in Europe
Esperanto Radikala Asocio
Esperanto Radikala Asocio
Estonian National Youth Council
Estonian NGO Roundtable Foundation
Estonian Women’s Association Roundtable Foundation (Eesti Naisteühenduse Ümarlaua Sihtasutus)
ESYN - National Council of Hellenic YouthOrganisations
EU- Plattform - Austrian national Platform
EU-Consent
EU-CORD
EUDemocrats
EUFORES - European Forum for renewable energy sources
EUJS/UEEJ - European Union of Jewish Students
Eurada, (European Association of Development Agencies),
EUREC - Eureopean renewable energy centres agency -
EUROCHAMBRES
Eurochambres (Association of European Chambers of Commerce andIndustry),
Eurochild
Eurochild
Eurodad
Eurodiaconia
Eurodiaconia
Euroheat & Power
Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network
Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN)
Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN)
EUROPARC Federation
European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN)
European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN)
European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA)
European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA)
European Association of service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD)
European Association of service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD)
European Blind Union (EBU)
European Blind Union (EBU)
European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages-EBLUL
European Center for Nature Conservation
European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM)
European Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation and of Enterprises of General Economic Interest
European Citizens' Initiative
European Civil Society Platform on Lifelong Learning (EUCIS- LLL)
European Confederation of Workers’ Co-operatives, Social Co-operatives and Participative Enterprises (CECOP)
European Confederation of Workers’ Co-operatives, Social Co-operatives and Participative Enterprises (CECOP)
European Consumer Organisation - BEUC
European Consumers' Organisation-BEUC
European Council for Non Profit Organisations (CEDAG)
European Council for Non Profit Organisations (CEDAG)
European Council on Refugees and Exiles
European Cultural Foundation
European Disability Forum (EDF)
European Disability Forum (EDF)
European Environmental Bureau
European Federation for Transport and Environment
European Federation of Journalists
European Federation of National Organisations Working with Homeless (FEANTSA)
European Federation of National Organisations Working with Homeless (FEANTSA)
European Federation of the Elderly (EURAG)
European Federation of the Elderly (EURAG)
European Federation of Unpaid Parents and Carers at Home (FEFAF)
European Federation of Unpaid Parents and Carers at Home (FEFAF)
European Forum of the Arts and Heritage
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
European Institute of Public Administration , Maastricht
European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation (EIUC)
European Liaison Committee for Social Housing (CECODHAS)
European Liaison Committee for Social Housing (CECODHAS)
European Movement
European Network Against Racism (ENAR)
European Network Against Racism (ENAR)
European Network of the Unemployed (ENU)
European Network of the Unemployed (ENU)
European Organisation of Military Associations (Euromil)
European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO)
European Policy Centre (EPC)
European Public Health Alliance
European Public Health Alliance (EPHA)
European Public Law Center (EPLC)
European Region of the Humanist International
European Roma Information Office (ERIO)
European Roma Information Office (ERIO)
European Round Table of Charitable Social Welfare Associations (ET Welfare)
European Social Action Network (ESAN)
European Social Action Network (ESAN)
European Stability Initiative
European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
European Union
European Women’s Lobby (EWL)
European Women's Lobby
European Women's Lobby
European Youth Forum
European Youth Forum (YFJ)
Eurostep
Eurotoques
EWEA -
Fair Trials Abroad
farmsubsidy.org, soon ECFR/open society
FEDARENE -
Fédération Démocratique International des Femmes
FEDERATION DES PARTIS VERTS EUROPEENS
Fédération des Relais enfants-parents
Fédération Nationale des Femmes Luxembourgeoises
Federation of Islamic Organisations in Europe
Federazione ACLI Internazionali (FAI)
Federazione ACLI Internazionali (FAI)
Feminist Institute HBS (Heinrich Böll Stiftung e.V.)
FEMM
FFII Foundation for a free information infrastructure,
FIACAT - International Federation of the Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture
FIDH
Finnish Institute for International Affairs
FNG - National Youth Council of Italy
FoEE Friends of the Earth Europe
Fondation Jean-Jaurès
Fondazione Alexander Langer Stiftung - Onlus
Fondazione Mezzogiorno Europa - ONLUS
Foreign Affairs Think-Tank + Education
Foro Civil Euromed
Forum réfugiés
Forum Syd
Foundation for Education for Democracy
French Institute of International Relations
Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Brüssel
Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung Brüssel
Friends of Children from Children's Homes
Friends of Earth Bankwatch Network
Friends of Europe
Friends of Nature International
Friends of the Earth Europe
Front Line - The International Foundation for the protection of Human Rights Defenders
Front Line Defenders
FUNDACIÓN ALTERNATIVAS
Fundación CIDOB
Fundación José Ortega y Gasset
Fundación Pablo Iglesias
Fundación Universitaria San Pablo CEU
Fundacja im. Stefana Batorego
Fundatia Europeana Nicolae Titulescu
FYEG/FJEE - Federation of Young European Greens
FYROM Women's Lobby
GenderKompetenzZentrum
Global Witness
GRAPAD
Greenpeace European Unit
Groupe de Secours Catastrophe Français (GSCF)
Groupe d'Etudes Politiques Européenes asbl
Grüne Bildungswerkstatt
GYIK-NIKI - Hungarian Coordination Bureau for International Youth Work
HAND - Hungarian Association of NGOs for Development and Humanitarian Aid
HAND (Hungarian association of NGOs for development and humanitarian Aid)
Hands Off Cain
Hands Off Cain
Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung Brüssel
Health and EnvironmentAlliance
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Brüssel
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP)
Helsinki Foundation
HÍD ENCEF (Minority protection in Hungary)
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch (HRW)
Human Rights Watch (HRW)
Humanist Committee on Human Rights (HOM)
Hungarian Human Rights Foundation
ICCO
IFLRY - International Federation of Liberal Youth
IFM/SEI - International Falcon Movement - Socialist Educational International
IFOAM EU Group
IGLYO - International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth and Student Organisation
in the AGORA meeting in autumn 2007
Inclusion Europe (The European Association of Societies of Persons with Intellectual Disability and their Families)
Inclusion Europe (The European Association of Societies of Persons with Intellectual Disability and their Families)
Initiative Féministe Européenne
Institut Européen de Recherche et de Développement de la Féminité en Entreprise
Institut für Europäische Politik
Institut pro evropskou politiku EUROPEUM
Institute for international Affairs
Institute for Security Studies
Institute for World Economics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Institute of African Studies
Institute of Development Studies
Institute of European Affairs
Institute Thomas More
Instituto Affari Internazionali
Instituto de Estudos Estratégicos e Internacionais (IEEI)
Instituto Elcano
Institutul European din Romania
Institutul Român Pentru Drepturile Omului
Instytut Sobieskiego
Instytut Spraw Publicznych
Intermón Oxfam
Internation Forum on Development Service
International advocacy on human rights, good governance, conflict prevention
International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ)
International Centre for Transitional Justice
International Chamber of Commerce
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW)
International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW)
International Crisis Group,
International Dalit Solidarity Network
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
International Federation Terre des Hommes
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF)
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF)
International Lesbian and Gay Association - Europe (ILGA-Europe)
International Peace Research Institute
International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network (IPPF EN)
International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)
International Rescue Committee UK
International Roma Women Network
International Society for Human Rights
International women's rights centre, "La Strada-Ukraine"
IOM Brussels Office
IPPF - International Planned Parenthood Federation
IPPF- European Network
ISIS Europe
IUSY - International Union of Socialist Youth
IYNF - International Young Naturefriends
JEF Europe - Young European Federalists
JUSTICE
KEHYS ry - Finish NGO Platform
KNZ-Malta - National Youth Council of Malta
KOK - German Federal Association Against Trafficking in Women and Violence Against Women
Kokopelli
Konrad Adenauer Stiftung
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Brüssel
La Fondation pour la recherche stratégique
La Strada International - European Network Against Trafficking in Human Beings
Latvian Coordination of EWL - Women NGOs Network of Latvia
Les jeudis de Cotonou
LIBE
Liberty Protecting civil liberties promoting human rights
LICRA
Light for the World
Ligue des droits de l'Homme (LDH)
Ligue française des droits de l'Homme
LIJOT - Council of Lithuanian Youth Organisations
Lithuanian Women’s Lobby
LJP - National Youth Council of Latvia
London school of Economics and Political Science
LSU - National Council of Swedish Youth Organisations
LYMEC - European Liberal Youth
Magyar Máltai Szeretetszolgálat (Malteser Hilfdienst, Hungary)
Magyar Nöi Erdekérvényesitö Szövetség (Nöi Erdek) - Hungarian Women's Lobby
Malta Confederation of Women’s Organisations (MCWO)
Manfred Nowak
Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture, and Sustainable Development
Mental Health Europe (MHE)
Mental Health Europe (MHE)
Migreurop
Minority Rights Group International
Minority Rights Group International
Mouvement ATD Quart Monde - International ATD Fourth World Movement
Mouvement Ni putes Ni soumises
MSS- National Youth Council of Slovenia
MVRO - The Slovak NGDO Platform
Name
National Alliance of Women's Organisations (NAWO)
National Forum on Europe
NATIONALE JEUGDRAAD (DNYC)- Dutch National Youth Council (DNYC)
Netherlands Coordination to European Women's Lobby (NCEWL)
Netherlands Institute for International Affairs
Network for Education and Academic Rights
Network of Estonian Non-Profit Organisations
Network Women's Program, OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE
Netzwerk Europäische Bewegung Deutschland
New Women for Europe
No Peace Without Justice
No Peace Without Justice
Nonviolent Radical Party
Nonviolent Radical Party
Norwegian Institute for International Affairs
Notre Europe
NYCI - National Youth Council of Ireland
NYTKIS - Coalition of Finnish Women's Association
OAG (Observatoire de l'action gouvernementale)
OBESSU - Organising Bureau of European SchoolStudents Unions
ÖJV - Austrian National Youth Council
Ökosoziales Forum
Olof Palmes Internationalla Center
Open Estonia Foundation
Open Society Institute
Open Society Institute
Open Society Institute-Brussels (OSI-Brussels)
Ordem dos Advogados - Comissão dos Direitos Humanos (Portuguese Law Bar association - Human rigths committee)
Osservatorio Comunicazione e Società
Osservatorio sui Balcani
Österreichischer Frauenring
OXFAM International
PARTI DE LA GAUCHE EUROPEENNE
PARTI DEMOCRATE EUROPEEN
PARTI EUROPEEN DES LIBERAUX, DEMOCRATES ET REFORMATEURS
PARTI POPULAIRE EUROPEEN
PARTI SOCIALISTE EUROPEEN
Partners for Democratic Change
PARTOS
Pauvrete Politique
Pax Christi International
Peace Brigades International -European Office
Penal Reform International (PRI)
People and Planet
Permanent Forum of Civil Society
PLAN
PLAN International
Plataforma dos ONGs
Plataforma Portuguesa das ONGD
Plateforme sociale
Polish Institute of International Affairs
POLLEN
Polska Fundacja im. Roberta Schumana
POMPIERS SANS FRONTIÈRES
Pour la solidarité
Poznan Human Rights Centre/ Institute of Legal Studies of the Polish Academy
PPDM - Plataforma Portuguesa para os Direitos das Mulheres
Privacy International
Privacy Laws and Business
Pro Natura
Quaker Council for European Affairs
Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA)
RDJ - Council of German-speaking Youth
Real Instituto Elcano
REAPN (Rede Europeia Anti Pobreza)
Red Cross EU Office
Red Cross/EU Office
Red Feminista
Reporters sans frontieres
Revista Temas
RMS - Youth Council of Slovakia
Roma Women Initiative Project
Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung
RSE Portugal – Associação Portuguesa para a Responsabilidade Social das Empresas (Portuguese association for Social Corporate Responsibility)
RYEurope - Rural Youth Europe
Saferworld
Save our Seeds
Save The Children
Save the children
Save the Children EU Office
Save the Children Europe Group
Sbilanciamoci
SCI - Service Civil International
Search for Common Ground
SEDE
Sindicato dos Jornalistas (Portuguese journalists' trade union)
SLOGA (Slovenian Global Action)
Slovak Women's Lobby
Social Platform
Socialist International Women
Solidar
Solidar
SOLWODI
Statewatch
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik
Stockholm Peace Research Institute
subject: EU Affairs, Foreign Affairs
subject: EU Affairs, Foreign Affairs,
Subject: EU Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Democracy
Swedish Disability Federation
T&E (transport and Environment) -
Tampere Peace Research Institute
Terre des Hommes
The AIRE Centre ( advice on Individual rights in Europe)
The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK)
THE EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
The European Children's Network (Euronet)
The European Children's Network (Euronet)
The European Peacebuilding Liaison Office – EPLO
The European Policy Centre (EPC)
The European Region of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA–Europe)
The European Volunteer Centre (CEV)
The European Volunteer Centre (CEV)
The Freedom Association
The Latvian Institute of International Affairs (LIIA)
The National Council of Women of Finland
The National Council of Women of Finland
The National Women's Council of Ireland - NWCI
the single and largest Estonian organization uniting public benefit nonprofit organizations
The Swedish Women's Lobby
The Women's Health Council
Think-and-Action Tank (Human Rights and Democracy)
Tinbergen Institute
Trade Unions Institute For The Co-Operation To Development (ISCOS-CISL) [Italian Section]
Trans-European Policy Studies Association
UEAPME - European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
UITP(union for public transport)
UNIFEM
Union of European Federalists (UEF)
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO)
VENRO - Verband Entwicklungspolitik deutscher Nichtregierungsorganisationen
VJR - Flemish National Youth Council
WAGGGS - World Association of Girl Guides and GirlScouts
WIDE
Women's Council in Denmark
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
Workability Europe
Workability Europe
World Organisations Against Torture (OMCT)
World Vision
World Vision
World Vision Finland
WOSM - World Organisation of the Scout Movement-Europe region
WWF European Policy Office
WWF Senegal
YAP - Youth Action for Peace
YEE - Youth and Environment Europe
YEN - Youth of European Nationalities
YEPP - Youth of European People's Party
Youth and European Social Work (YES Forum)
ZAGRANICA

The Agora Programme

2007-11-08T01:44:00.000-08:00

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT - BRUSSELS
8 and 9 NOVEMBER 2007
NEW TREATIES CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES, TOOLS

Next December, the Heads of State and Government are to sign a new European treaty which will then be submitted for ratification in each Member State of the Union.
The European Parliament has decided, before issuing its own assessment of the text, to invite European civil society to come to the Chamber and express its views on the new institutional landscape, asking it to present its appraisal and its xpectations, but also to better define its role within the new framework that is taking shape.
The activities of this Agora will centre around two plenary sessions and two meetings of five workshops (‘Tasks’ - ‘Rights’ - ‘Tools’ - ‘Borders’ - ‘Horizons’). All the Members of the European Parliament will of course be able to participate in the work of the Agora. The European public will also be able to follow all the debates during the Agora live on Parliament’s internet site.
The programme for the Citizens’ Agora of 8 and 9 November 2007 is included below. For more information, and to read the participants’ contributions, visit the internet site: www.europarl.europa.eu

THURSDAY 8 NOVEMBER 2007
8.30 - 10.00: Reception and accreditation of participants
Place: European Parliament Accreditation Centre (Altiero Spinelli building)
Delivery of dossiers and badges to participants.
10.00 - 12.30: Plenary session
Place: EP Chamber, with Video Webstreaming
Interpretation: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish and Portuguese.
Inaugural sitting (10.00 - 11.00)
‘What links exist between the European public and its Institutions?’
SPEAKERS:
- European Parliament: Mr Hans-Gert Poettering (President of the European Parliament)
- Council of the European Union: representative of the Portuguese Presidency (to be decided)
- European Commission: Mrs Margot Wallström (First Vice-President of the European Commission)
- Economic and Social Committee: Mr Alexander Graf von Schwerin (Vice-President of the EESC)
- Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament: Mr Jo Leinen (Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament)

Open debate (11.00 - 12.30)
‘What role for the Citizens’ Agora?’
CO-MODERATORS:
- for the European Institutions: Mr Gérard Onesta (Vice-President of the European Parliament)
- for Civil Society: Mr Conny Reuter (Secretary-General of an international federation of social movements) and Mr Henrik Kröner (Secretary-General of a large European integration movement)

12.30 - 14.30:
Interval
Parliament press conference (12.30 - 13.00)
Place: Parliament’s press room - PHS 0A50
Interpretation: English, French and German

‘Parliament’s objectives through the Agora’
SPEAKERS:
- Mr Jo Leinen (Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament) and Mr Gérard Onesta (Vice-President of the European Parliament)
Lunch for Agora participants (12.30 - 14.30)
Place: European Parliament, Espace Yehudi Menuhin

14.30 - 18.00:
Workshop meetings
Interpretation: English, French and German.
Each of the five workshops will be opened by well-known speakers from the Institutions, who in 15 minutes will present the key points of the topics to be addressed. Participants will then have 15 minutes to respond to that opening speech before entering into an open debate. That debate, which will be led by two co-moderators (one from the Institutions and the other from civil society), will aim to establish a consensus or the range of options possible. On that basis a team
of ‘reporters’ (whose members will come solely from civil society) will have the task of drawing up a very brief summary (one recto-verso page) of the outcome of the discussions.

Workshop A: ‘TASKS’
Place: European Parliament, Room A3G2, with Video Webstreaming
The European Union is to tackle new topics and new solidarities. How should it address them?
Matters to be raised (list for guidance only):
- The European social dimension (in particular the definition of services of general interest and application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights)
- Climate protection
- Energy supply and energy interdependence
- Immigration policy
- An integrated European diplomatic service
GUEST SPEAKER:
- Mr Jean-Pierre Jouyet (French Minister for European Affairs)
- Mr Mario Sepi (President of the EESC's Employees Group)
CO-MODERATORS:
- for the Institutions: Mrs Pervenche Berès (Chairwoman of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs of the European Parliament)
- for civil society: Mrs Catherine Vieilledent-Monfort (Representative of a large European Federation )
REPORTERS (civil society):
- Ms Angela Schneider-Bodien (Representative of a large employer-employee federation)
- Ms Tamara Flanagan (Head of a leading training and mutual aid NGO)
- Ms Elissaveta Manolova (Journalist and Academic project leader)

Workshop B: ‘RIGHTS’
Place: European Parliament, Room A1G3, with Audio Webstreaming
The European Union is to establish new rights. How are these to be understood?
Matters to be raised (list for guidance only):
- Implementation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights
- Practical effects on the Charter of certain countries 'opting out’
- Introduction of a right enabling the general public to petition the Commission
GUEST SPEAKER:
- Mr Costas Botopoulos (Member of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament)
- Mr Henri Malosse (President of the EESC's Employers Group)
CO-MODERATORS:
- for the Institutions: Mr Giusto Catania (Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs of the European Parliament)
- for civil society: Ms Katharina Erdmenger (Representative of a large social partner federation)
REPORTERS (civil society):
- Ms Anne Hoel (Adviser to a major European federation of social organisations)
- Mr Bartosz Lech (Representative of a European federation of youth movements)
- Mr Roland de Bodt (Essayist, author of numerous works on rights and European democracy)

Workshop C: ‘TOOLS’
Place: European Parliament, Room A1E2, with AudioWebstreaming
The European Union is to acquire new tools. How should they be used?
Matters to be raised (list for guidance only)
- Procedure for nominating the Commission President and the Commissioners
- Virtually universal legislative codecision with a double majority within the Council
- Transparency of the Council’s legislative process
- Stability of the European Council Presidency
- Budget procedure
GUEST SPEAKER:
- Mr Enrique Baron Crespo (European Parliament representative at the Inter-Governmental Conference)
CO-MODERATORS:
- for the Institutions: Mr Gérard Onesta (Vice-President of the European Parliament)
- for civil society: Mr Gabriel Fragnière (Former Rector of the College of Europe, chairman of a European cultural movement)
REPORTERS (civil society):
- Mr Arthur Forbes (Unit Head for Europe of a social partner confederation)
- Ms Ecaterina Matcov (Representative of large European integration movements)
- Mr Philippe Grosjean (Representative of a transnational network of civic organisations)

Workshop D: ‘BORDERS’
Place: European Parliament, Room A3G3, with Video Webstreaming
The European Union wishes to enhance its geo-political role. How should it envisage this new relationship with the rest of the world?
Matters to be raised (list for guidance only):
- Deployment of a European diplomatic corps under a single head
- Criteria for accession to the European Union and integration capacity
- Neighbourhood relations and conflict prevention policy
- Development policy and support for democratisation processes
GUEST SPEAKER:
- Mr Andrew Duff (European Parliament representative at the Inter-Governmental Conference)
CO-MODÉRATORS:
- for the Institutions: Mr György Schöpflin (Member of the Committee on constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament)
- for civil society: Mr Piotr Kaczynski (Research fellow)
REPORTERS (civil society):
- Mr Aspe Montoya (Representative of a European integration movement)
- Mrs Eliana Capretti (Representative of a youth movement)
- Mr Dieter Hammer (Representative of a European integration movement)

Workshop E: ‘HORIZONS’
Place: European Parliament, Chamber, with Video Webstreaming
The European Union is to agree an institutional compromise in order to break the deadlock in certain areas. How should the future stages of European integration be envisaged?
Matters to be raised (list for guidance only):
- Ways of consulting and informing the people of Europe and enabling them to take decisions
- The structure of European civil society and ways in which it can act
- A new power enabling the European Parliament to amend the Treaties
- Simplifying the machinery of the Europe’s Institutions and making their workings transparent
GUEST SPEAKER:
- Ms Ondina Blokar Drobic (Representative of the future Slovene Presidency of the Union)
- Mr Staffan Nilsson (President of the EESC's Various Interests Group)
CO-MODERATORS:
- for the Institutions: Mr Carlos Carneiro (Member of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament)
- for civil society: Mr Michele Ciavarini (Chairman of the national branch of a large European integration movement)
REPORTERS (civil society):
- Mr Daniel Spoel (Administrator of a transnational network of civic organisations)
- Mr Georges Ingber (Adviser to a large European integration movement)
- Ms Anna Gabrielle (Project leader for a large European student network)

18.00 - 20.00:
Reporter meetings
Place: various rooms at Parliament (to be decided)
No interpretation
The five reporting teams will meet to work on the summaries of the proceedings of their respective workshops.

FRIDAY 9 NOVEMBER 2007
9.00 – 12.00:
Workshop meetings
Interpretation: English, French and German.
During this second working group session each of the five workshops (on the same
subjects) will finalise its conclusions by amending and confirming the reporters’ texts (drawn up as very brief summaries: maximum of one recto-verso page per workshop). As with the previous meetings, these discussions will be headed by two new co-moderators, one from the Institutions and the other from civil society. The reporting teams will be the same as the day before.
Workshop A: ‘TASKS’
Place: European Parliament, Chamber, with Video Webstreaming The European Union is to tackle new topics and new solidarities. How should it address them?
Matters to be raised (list for guidance only):
- The European social dimension (in particular the definition of services of general interest and application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights)
- Climate protection
- Energy supply and energy interdependence
- Immigration policy
- An integrated European diplomatic service
CO-MODERATORS:
- for the Institutions: Mr Johannes Voggenhuber (Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament)
- for civil society: Mr Ralph Hallo (Former chairman of a major European confederation of environmentalist movements) and Mr Tony Venables (Director of a large European federation of civic movements)
REPORTERS (civil society):
- Ms Angela Schneider-Bodien (Representative of a large employer-employee federation)
- Ms Tamara Flanagan (Head of a leading training and mutual aid NGO)
- Ms Elissaveta Manolova (Journalist and Academic project leader)

Workshop B: ‘RIGHTS’
Place: European Parliament, Room A3G2, with Video Webstreaming
The European Union is to establish new rights. How are these to be understood?
Matters to be raised (list for guidance only):
- Implementation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights
- Practical effects on the Charter of certain countries ‘opting out’
- Introduction of a right enabling the general public to petition the Commission
CO-MODERATORS:
- for the Institutions: Mrs Dushana Zdravkova (Vice-Chairwoman of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament)
- for civil society: Ms Marie Claude Vayssade (Chairwoman of the women’s committee of a major European integration movement)
REPORTERS (civil society):
- Ms Anne Hoel (Adviser to a major European federation of social organisations)
- Mr Bartosz Lech (Representative of a European federation of youth movements)
- Mr Roland de Bodt (Essayist, author of numerous works on rights and European democracy)

Workshop C: ‘TOOLS’
Place: European Parliament, Room A3G3, with Video Webstreaming
The European Union is to acquire new tools. How should they be used?
Matters to be raised (list for guidance only):
- Procedure for nominating the Commission President and Commissioners
- Virtually universal legislative codecision with a double majority within the Council
- Transparency of the Council's legislative process
- Stability of the European Council Presidency
- Budget procedure
CO-MODERATORS:
- for the Institutions: Mr Gérard Onesta (Vice-President of the European Parliament)
- for civil society: Mr Kyösti Hagert (Representative of a national federation of youth movements)
REPORTERS (civil society):
- Mr Arthur Forbes (Unit Head for Europe of a social partner confederation)
- Ms Ecaterina Matcov (Representative of large European integration movements)
- Mr Philippe Grosjean (Representative of a transnational network of civic organisations)

Workshop D: ‘BORDERS’
Place: European Parliament, Room A1E2, with Audio Webstreaming
The European Union wishes to enhance its geo-political role. How should it envisage this new relationship with the rest of the world?
Matters to be raised (list for guidance only):
- Deployment of a European diplomatic corps under a single head
- Criteria for accession to the European Union and integration capacity
- Neighbourhood relations and conflict prevention policy
- Development policy and support for democratisation processes
CO-MODERATORS:
- for the Institutions: Mr György Schöpflin (Member of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European
Parliament)
- for civil society: Mr Samuele Pii (Chairman of a large youth movement for European integration)
REPORTERS (civil society):
- Mr Aspe Montoya (Representative of a European integration movement)
- Mrs Eliana Capretti (Representative of a youth movement)
- Mr Dieter Hammer (Representative of a European integration movement)

Workshop E: ‘HORIZONS’
Place: European Parliament, Room A1G3, with Audio Webstreaming
The European Union is to agree to an institutional compromise in order to break the deadlock in certain areas. How should the future stages of European integration be envisaged?
Matters to be raised (list for guidance only):
- Ways of consulting and informing the people of Europe and enabling them to take decisions
- The structure of European civil society and ways in which it can act
- A new power enabling the European Parliament to amend the treaties
- Simplifying the machinery of Europe's institutions and making their workings more transparent
CO-MODERATORS:
- for the Institutions: Mr Jo Leinen (Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European
Parliament)
- for civil society: Mr Jean Marc Roirant (Head of a large European network of transnational civic movements)
REPORTERS (civil society):
- Mr Daniel Spoel (Administrator of a transnational network of civic organisations)
- Mr Georges Ingber (Adviser to a large European integration movement)
- Ms Anna Gabrielle (Project leader for a large European student network)

12.00 – 14.00:
Interval

Lunch for Agora participants (12.00 – 14.00)
Place: European Parliament, Restaurant des Députés
14.00 – 16.00:
Plenary session
Place: EP Chamber, with video webstreaming
Interpretation: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish and Portuguese.
Workshop reports (14.00 – 15.00)
SPEAKERS:
- two REPORTERS per workshop (5 minutes per person)
General closing debate and approval of results (15.00 – 16.00)
CO-MODERATORS:
- for the Institutions: Mr Gérard Onesta (Vice-President of the European Parliament)
- for civil society: Dr. Susana del Rio (Journalist and academic, member of a committee of experts on governance) and Mr Philippe de Buck (Secretary-general of a large international federation of social movements)

16.00 – 16.30:
End of proceedings
Agora press conference (16.00 – 16.30)
Place: Parliament’s press room, PHS 0A50
Interpretation: English, French and German
SPEAKERS:
- one reporter per workshop to set out the results of the Agora
‘Family photo’ of the participants and presentation of a ‘commemorative diploma’ (16.00 – 16.30)
Place: EP Chamber