Summary - round table in Paris about the EU in 2020 and the enlargement

A round table took place in Paris on 22 April 2010, focusing on the future enlargement and the civic vision about Europe in 2020.

The event was organized by the European Institute Foundation, the Center for Policy Modernization and Europe Gateway in partnership with Touteleurope.fr and the EP Information Bureau in Paris, which hosted the event.

This round table is part of the EP-funded project "Interacting with the European Parliament".

Mrs. Laura Dagg, Chief Editor of the European news potal Touteleurope.fr - media partner to this initiative - opened the round table.

Ognian Boyadjiev, editor in chief of Europe.bg, presented to the French audience the book "Europe 2020 - Civic Vision", which summarizes the conclusion of the two-year long campaign "Interacting with the European Parliament".

The other participants were Mr. Alain Barrau, head of the EP Information Bureau for France, Mrs. Lubov Panayotova - director of the European Institute, Mr. Guillaume Jobin, president of ESJ - Ecole Superieure de Journalisme de Paris, Mrs. Elvire Fabry - researcher at "Notre Europe", as well as ESJ students.

More than 50-60 citizens came to attend the round table – among them students at the Ecole Superieure de Journalisme (ESJ) in journalism and international relations, French NGOs, researchers, etc. They debated about Europe in 2020 – more enlarged and/or stronger, what is the civic vision, what will be Turkey’s future as candidate to join the EU. During the discussion were expressed various civic viewpoints, differing in their expectations from country to country with regard of whether they are EU founding-members or recently joined the Union.

Mrs. Lubov Panayotova talked about the lessons learned as a result of Bulgaria’s negotiation process for joining the EU and the impact on the Western Balkans countries, which are willing now to enter the Union.

ESJ president Guillaume Jobin focused on Turkey’s bid to become part of the EU and on the public expectations about this sensitive issue.

Mrs. Elvire Fabry, researcher at “Notre Europe”, talked about the priorities of the Spanish EU Presidency and the need for a deeper public consultation on the Commission’s “EU 2020” Strategy, in the context of the failure of the Lisbon Strategy, which preceded this recent document.