Europe in Berry Touraine, is a non-profit making organization, and has been active for 9 years throughout a network of towns and associations. It promotes a spirit of European citizenship embracing intercultural and intergenerational societies, with a commitment that is respectful, dynamic and diversified . It is based on volunteering, thanks to some 360 volunteers.

The network now has 26 partners: - 5 towns in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France, - Their respective twin towns, which include their own partners, that is, 16 towns and 5 associations from 17 Member States - and young people who come from the other 11 countries of the European Union. This gives a wide diffusion throughout the EU.

This is reliant upon the collaboration The project "Remembering the future" This is reliant upon the collaboration of the network of partners from the 28 Member States. It was organized around 6 meetings, and set on the occasion of a major celebration of the host town, which would amplify the impact with a large additional audience, estimated at 320,000 people.

The project "Remembering the future" It included: - 659 invited citizens from the 28 European Member States. - 1,212 participants from the host towns; In total 1,911 participants, to which many other Europeans have been added.

The objectives of the "Remembering the Future" project are to ensure that citizens take ownership of the European project and contribute to its future. The title announces the path: Keep in mind the reasons for the construction of the EU, its achievements and invest in it to sustain and consolidate its future. The method is essentially based on: • Discussions, and interactive, intercultural and intergenerational exchanges; • Creating cooperation between towns to generate actions of initiatives and sustainable common interest.

In the program of meetings: • A conference-debate on European issues, to enable participants to form an informed and constructive opinion of the EU. Topics included Euroscepticism, solidarity in times of crisis, the migration crisis and the future of the EU.  It was stimulated by speeches from the MEP and local elected officials. The public actively participated.

In the program of meetings: • A festive event, an informal moment based on sharing, mutual understanding, tolerance and contributing to the emergence of a European identity. A European village where everyone shared their culture, folklore and culinary skills which was very much appreciated. This offered a human face to the EU and highlighted the richness of its cultural diversity.

In the program of meetings: • A round table discussion where business professionals exchange their respective practices, and reflect on the construction of projects of common interest.

In the program of meetings: Youth workshops: Young people are invited to reflect together on the EU, being posed the following questions: What is the EU? What do they like in the EU? What they do not like, what would they like to see change? Their vision on what threatens the EU? Their hopes, their expectations for a common future within the EU?

Youth workshops: They were very sensitive to the fact that: - We give them the floor to speak freely (many said it was the first time ...) - They are invited to reflect on the EU, which many have never done. They appreciated this opportunity and invested a lot in it.

In the program of meetings: Publication of a film and a book We made a film and a book, based on the testimonies gathered in the youth workshops. The film was shown, and the book presented during the conference-debate at the last meeting of the project in Loches, in the presence of: - Mrs Sixtine Bouygues, Deputy Director of European Communication, - Mrs Angélique Delahaye, MEP, - Mr Charles Fournier Vice-President of the Centre-Val de Loire region, - Mr Edouard Schmidt, Head of Digital Strategy for Citizen Consultations on Europe, at the Ministry of Europe and European Affairs, - Representatives of Embassies, Consulates, National Education, House of Europe, - Mayors of the partner towns, and local elected officials ....

In the program of meetings: The last conference-debate Discussion between the audience and panel was established and the public was particularly participatory. The young people greatly appreciated the fact that Mrs Sixtine Bouygues, from the European Commission, visited from Brussels to listen to them and talk to them. They said that her presence offered a human face to the EU, which made the EU feel less inaccessible but closer. Partner towns, volunteers and the public felt that the dignitaries in attendance were approachable, listened to them and were able to talk to each other.

The impacts of the project: Euroscepticism, and at times, the questioning of the EU, is worrying, especially on the eve of the next election. In this context, the project helps to inform citizens about the EU and its values and encourages them to take part in community life and citizenship. By relying on intercultural and intergenerational discussion, it enables citizens to grasp the fundamental values of the EU, to learn to live together and to develop a sense of belonging to a community of the future. The project generates sustainable cooperation, the desire to be united in the face of the economic crisis and safeguarding the construction of Europe. It amalgamated a large number of partners, a wide public, from all Member States and with a real cultural diversity. 

The strength of the "Europe for Citizens" programme To allow European citizens to meet each other, to better understand each other by sharing their cultures and their history, is obviously the best way to bring citizens closer to the EU, and to facilitate accession to European citizenship. Participants who admitted to being Eurosceptic, admit to having changed their minds after the meetings.