On 24-25 June, the Convention held hearings of Civil Society organisations to hear their views in the debate on the future of Europe. This arose as a result of the Laeken Declaration’s emphasis on involving civil society in the construction of Europe, but was also in response to the enormous interest that the Convention has generated in the civil society sector.

The hearings were prepared in eight contact groups, which were open to any organisation which wanted to attend. The contact groups, each chaired by a member of the Convention, covered the following topics: social affairs; environment; academia and think tanks; citizens and institutions; regions and local authorities; human rights; development; and culture. Although many of the organisations primarily deal with policy issues, it was stressed that the focus of contributions had to be on transversial and cross-cutting issues, such as the missions, instruments, and institutions of the Union, rather than on the content of specific policy areas.

The contact groups met between 10-18 June, and provided a first opportunity for discussion between civil society organisations. These meetings also saw the nomination of representatives to speak on behalf of the contact groups in the hearings proper. In the Citizens and Institutions group, for example, five speakers were chosen by the group, each to speak for a maximum of five minutes.

The hearings themselves took place on 24-25 June. Each organisation had two badges for the Parliament, and although access to the hemicycle was closely restricted on the first day, this was relaxed on Tuesday to allow more people to enter. Many organisations were present, and some took advantage of the opportunity to have a stand on the footbridge of the Parliament to display their papers and materials, although the rather chaotic planning of this left many organisations unable to participate fully.

Participants from many different sectors of society addressed the Convention plenary. Although there were different demands and priorities, contributors were united in demanding that the Convention make ambitious proposals for a genuine reform of the Union, one which would increase the democratic accountability of the Union’s decision-making and which would make the Union’s institutions more transparent. Many focused on the need to make the Council more transparent and accountable, while others argued for a democratic method of selecting the President of the European Commission. The concept of a Constitution, once virtually a taboo subject in the debate on the future of Europe, is now widely accepted by organisations from every sector of society.

The hearings themselves can only be a part of the broader process by which the Convention consults with and involves civil society. Many expressed the hope that there would be further consultations at the working group stage, on the basis of common texts. What is clear is that civil society has high expectations of the Convention. The Convention is expected to produce serious reforms which address the demands of the citizens for a more transparent, effective, and accountable Union. The support is there. All the Convention needs is the courage and the vision to seize this opportunity.

Alison Weston