AER European Citizens' Forum 2008

AER European Citizens’ Forum took place in Gävle, Gävleborg in Sweden on 12th May 2008. The topic of the meeting was: “An EU day on democracy, developing countries, health, culture meetings, environment, work and studies”.

70 young students from Västerberg Folk High School participated in the European Forum. The idea of this Forum was to have six discussion groups with 10-15 students and politicians with six different themes that engage young people. They had a chance to discuss with the regional and European policymakers. The aim was to raise their knowledge concerning the European important questions such as democracy, European external relations, health, migration environment and climate, European free movement.

Among the invited guests, the student met members of the European Parliament: Mr Jens Holm, Mr Olle Schmidt, Mrs Inger Schörling (former MEP), as well as national and local policy makers: Mrs Ulrika Karlsson, Mrs Bodil Ceballos (Members of Swedish Parliament), Mr Sten-Erik Nilsson (County Council of Gävleborg), There will be also Mrs Gun Lundberg and Mrs Malin Johansson from the Europe Direct Gävleborg.

Programme of the Forum

On 12th June 2008, the citizens from Dolnoslaskie Region got to know more about the Treaty of Lisbon during the Citizens' Forum. The topic of the meeting was: „What does the Treaty of Lisbon change for citizens?”. 30 citizens met academic experts on Europe as well as some policymakers from AER member regions. Together they discuss why does Europe need the Lisbon Treaty and if this Treaty would change the daily life of European citizens.

Programme of the Forum

European Citizen’s Forum in Banjaluka offered the possibility to discuss and think about the Europe and the benefits the membership in the European Union brings. The idea was to bring together the citizens, young people, politicians and professionals from the EU and from the region, who are experts for the European issues. The first part of the Forum had a form of a lecture about the advantages the membership and preparations for the membership would bring to the Republika Srpska and BiH (which nowadays is the EU potential candidate country). The second part of the Forum was envisaged as a debate and discussion between the guest speakers and participants because the aim of the European Citizen’s Forum is to engage the citizens, local decision makers and young politicians into the discussion about the future of Europe and place of Republika Srpska in it, with the representatives of the EU and the local experts on the European matters. The aim of Forum was not propaganda but to gave the citizens a genuine possibility to listen and to ask their own politicians about developments on the way to the EU and other questions that will help them understand better the role of the EU for the region they live in.  

The Forum in Banjaluka was organized by the AER, Unit for the European Integration of the RS Prime Minister‘s Office and Committee for the European Integration of the RS National Assembly.

Programme of the Forum