1. Dilyana Slavova REX Section President, EESC 20 July, 2018
Setting up Civil Society Roadmap “From Krakow to Sibiu and Beyond”
Contribution
Dilyana Slavova
REX Section President, EESC
20 July, 2018

2. Background Proposed by: EESC President
The EESC has been active on the future of Europe since the beginning.
Meetings in:
Krakow
Vienna
Goals of the document:
to activate EU citizens to vote
to define main messages to the new EP and EC

3. Clear Theme/Priorities of the Initiative
It should be horizontal and cross-sectorial
It could be divided into several components
Relevant to EESC activities
Relevant to EU challenges and hot topics
Relevant to EU citizens concerns
Visible, recognizable, understandable

4. Activities Creating a coordination group
Organizing debates in sections/groups/of the EESC, on the established theme and its sub-components
"Going local" activities in all member states
Final report with key messages on the basis of all debates
The culmination - an event to be held around the Sibiu Summit on 9 May 2019
Activities should be Maximum Inclusive

5. Special Focus
Clarification of the target audience – our civil society organizations, the EU citizens, etc.
Clear timetable of all EESC activities – debates, hearings, going local, conference…
Inclusion of all EESC members in the initiative
Roadmap of efficient communication of the whole process

6. Main Challenges that We Face
Management of migration and borders. Lack of Common Migration Strategy and Approach
Dealing with threats to citizen safety. Terrorism and crime.
How to be relevant, trusted and responsive. Lack of adequate EU governance and vision. Example of Austrian presidencies
Employment
Inequalities in the EU
Trade wars
Climate Change and Environment
Spring 2018 Standard Eurobarometer, published in June 2018: Immigration features as the top challenge that the Union is currently facing (38%, -1). Terrorism comes second (29%, -9 points), still ahead of the economic situation (18%, +1), the state of Member States' public finances (17%, +1) and unemployment (14%, +1).

7. Possible Themes, Proposal Examples
Sharing heritage, building sustainable future of peace and democracy
Overcoming economic and social inequalities
Towards a better human well-being

8. Proposal Example
Proposal: “Sharing heritage, building sustainable future of peace and democracy”
Motivation: The EU has always been a peace project. It started out as one, born from the ashes of war on the continent, and its supreme goal still is to prevent the conflicts. Today’s European Union may seem like a market place, a granter of subsidies, and an experiment in governance. But at its core Europe is still the search for peace – it just took a 60 year detour.
Sub component: ‘Peace Bread at EU Borders’
Motivation: 2014, Europe ‘celebrated 25 years since the fall of Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain. To record this event, the project "Peace Bread" was created, with the participation of the EESC, showing contribution of long-term agricultural practice in peace-building and to the human well-being. Project incorporates countries, which during the Cold War stayed behind the Iron Curtain - Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. The project could be extended to the EU borders and have similar events with our, Western Balkan Eastern Partnership partners.

9. THANK YOU!