Three Estonians in Brussels shaping future Europe

On Monday 11 May, the European Citizens Forum in Brussels assembled 150 randomly selected Europeans together to present 15 proposals on EU’s economic and social policies to the EU decision-makers. The event was attended by 3 Estonians: Karl (59), pensioner from Haljala, Aivar (47), construction worker from Kohila, and Hanna (21), student from Hiiumaa, who had participated in the Citizens Forum in Estonia in March.

Kadri Ollino, the coordinator of the Open Estonia Foundation’s European program, said the initiative has shown that people’s interest towards European issues should not be underestimated. “It is time to bust the myth that only politicians and experts know what people need. If the EU’s decisions are to affect all of us then all of us should have the possibility to have a say in them,” Ollino explained.

The forum in Brussels was the climax of a pan-European debate where top 15 proposals were picked out of hundreds of ideas previously generated in web forums and national conferences. The proposals included demands to the EU to reduce the usage of fossil fuels, develop a common European health care system and labor standards, harmonize the education system and adopt stricter mechanisms to regulate financial markets. Citizens also wished to see more efficient measures in electronic consumer protection. The 15 proposals included several ideas developed in Estonia in March. The national forums were attended by a total of 1605 people from all member states, including 25 from Estonia.

Commenting on this unique project, the President of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Pöttering said: "With less than one month to go before the European Parliament elections, this huge exercise in consulting citizens right across the 27 Member States is making an important contribution. More than 100 MEPs and candidates were involved in discussing the citizens’ recommendations for action with them. I'm sure that this was two-way communication with citizens, letting law-makers know which issues concern them most, and parliamentarians informing citizens what the European Parliament can do for them."

To encourage the new MEPs to take the proposals on board, the results of the Forums will be reviewed in autumn on regional forums across Europe and an international meeting in Brussels.

The European Citizens' Consultations are run by a consortium of more than 40 European partner organizations co-funded by the European Commission under its “Debate Europe” program. The consortium partner in Estonia is the Open Estonia Foundation.


Additional information:

Kadri Ollino
European Program
Open Estonia Foundation
Tel: +372 6 313 791
E-mail: kadri@oef.org.ee

Open Estonia Foundation: www.oef.org.ee
OEF’s weblog (in Estonian only): http://avatudeestifond.wordpress.com
European Citizens Consultations: www.european-citizens-consultations.eu