VoxBox discussion “Europe’s role in the world by 2020 – the civic vision” in Brussels

A VoxBox discussion at the European Parliament in Brussels, broadcast live on the internet on Europe Gateway www.europe.bg on April 14, 2010.

A discussion about the role of Europe as a global player in the long-term perspective was organized on April 14, 2010, at the voxbox studio in the European Parliament’s studio in Brussels. The debate was streamed live on the internet through Europe Gateway.

Short description: A presentation of the book “Europe 2020 – Civic Vision”, followed by a discussion about the future of Europe on the international scene, its relations with Russia and the energy policy, with the participation of young European citizens, Members of the European Parliament, of the Committee of the Regions, and representatives of civil-society organizations, as well as young citizens from Bulgaria.

This event took place in partnership with MEP Kristian Vigenin.
 
Among the participants were MEP Kristian Vigenin – Chairman of the EP Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly (i.e. the Eastern Partnership: the Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia), coordinator of the S&D Group in the Committee on foreign Affairs in the EP, Member of the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, as well as CoR Member Vladimir Kissiov – Member of the Bureau of the EPP group in the Committee of the Regions, former Deputy foreign minister and chief negotiator of Bulgaria with the EU, at present also Municipal Councilor of Sofia Municipality.

The book “Europe 2020 – Civic Vision” was presented by Tihomira Trifonova – expert and analyst at the Bulgarian civil-society organization Center for Policy Modernization, editor of the book.

This book was presented for the first time in Brussels in April, with the financial support of DG Communication of the EP through a project, entitled "Interacting with the European Parliament", which is implemented by Bulgarian non-governmental organizations European Institute and Centre for Policy Modernization. The book offers a summary of the two-year campaign that aimed at promoting the interaction between the European citizens and the Parliament.

The voxbox debate was moderated by Ognian Boyadjiev, editor in chief of Europe Gateway www.europe.bg – a 4-language online media, based in Sofia, covering the European policies and Bulgaria’s participation into them.

Students in political and European sciences from Bulgaria, part of a visitors group to the EP, who are in Brussels at the invitation of Kristian Vigenin MEP, after having competed for the annual “Europe Scholarship”, granted by Vigenin MEP through a national essay competition, were among the audience, located in the special audience area, with a separate microphone available for them to ask questions and express opinions.

Among the key topics were questions, such as what is the vision of the European citizens about the Union in 10 years and how it relates to the agenda of the political representatives, in particular on Europe’s role in the world, the foreign policy, the relations with Russia and the energy policy.

The discussion started with airing a special video welcome address by the President of the European Parliament H. E. Jerzy Buzek.

2010 is the first year after the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty, reforming the European Union. Simultaneously, the Union is thinking of its next long-term strategy, Europe 2020. Thus, this year has all the good reasons to remain in history as the beginning of a new stage in the overall development of the European Union and its member states. What would the European Union be like in 2020 as a global player on the international scene: the European Union being the third force in terms of population after India and China? 

How to address the citizens’ concerns – about energy supplies, the EU-Russia relations, the enlargement… Our guests were invited to comment on the messages of the recent developments of the EU-Russia relations (Russia-Poland, Russia-the Ukraine, US-EU Summit in Prague), as well as on the Eastern Partnership, the S&D “Enlargement 2014” initiative, the expectations on the advancement of the EU-Turkey negotiations by 2020.

The students from the audience concluded by offering to the guests copies of books with their essays from the national competition within the Annual “Europe Scholarship”.