400 vertegenwoordigers maatschappelijk middenveld debatteren over de toekomst van Europa (en)

On Thursday and Friday, 400 representatives from civil society organisations will gather in the European Parliament i to discuss the future of the European Union with MEPs in the first "Citizens' Agora".

Ahead of the December European Council, due to sign a new European treaty, the European Parliament 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.

The activities of this Agora will centre around two plenary sessions and two meetings of five workshops focused on main issues related to EU's future. The public throughout Europe will be able to follow all the debates during the Agora, as they will be streamed live on Parliament's internet site.

Gérard Onesta, Vice-President of the European Parliament, and Jo Leinen, Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, will hold a press conference on Thursday at 12.30pm (room PHS A 050).