The Conference Observatory, a joint initiative of Bertelsmann Stiftung, the European Policy Centre, King Baudouin Foundation and Stiftung Mercator, will closely monitor the Conference on the Future of Europe, assess its impact and present ideas on how to improve it.
The Observatory aims to make the Conference a meaningful and successful endeavour by monitoring its proceedings, providing policy input and recommendations on the strategic priorities that citizens will discuss, and assessing the potential institutional and legal consequences of debates conducted during the Conference. Through the Observatory, the consortium will also advise the Conference leadership and develop proposals for the future participatory and democratic make-up of the EU.
The European Union faces major transformational challenges such as climate change, digitalisation, a fragile global order and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In an environment of continuing uncertainty and crisis, the EU must demonstrate it is capable of critical self-reflection and renewal. The Conference on the Future of Europe could and should be used to this end.
The Conference is also a test case for the EU’s ability to include its citizens in the conversation, have an EU-wide debate about necessary reforms, and think about the right institutional structure for the decades ahead. The involvement of people from all member states, from all walks of life, will be new and, in many ways, unprecedented.
To find out more about how the Conference is developing, take a look at the official
website. We will also regularly host “Conference Conversations”, a 60-minute interactive online talk show where our experts, Conference insiders and high-level guests will provide timely information and in-depth analysis on where the Conference is heading. Stay tuned for our future activities!