European Citizens' Panel on the roles of rural areas (2006-2007)

The European Citizens´ Panel on the roles of rural areas in tomorrow’s Europe was an innovative European-wide citizens' participation pilot initiative to stimulate European democracy and experiment European citizenship.

Participating European citizens produced an informed say on the roles of rural areas in European societies.

Which societal challenges?

The chosen issue concerns all European citizens. The European Citizens' Panel aims at " 1) building up the capacities of people in different regions of European countries to 2) have an informed say on the roles of rural areas in European societies ".

Today, agricultural and rural policies represent about half of the European Union's budget. Rural areas cover 90% of the EU territory and host 56% of EU population (source: OECD). They impact the daily life of all, directly or indirectly, and represent major economic, social, environmental and cultural stakes.

Initiative

Why?

This initiative grew out of three basic observations:

1. Citizens' participation in shaping the future of Europe is vital to the enlargement and construction of a European democratic identity.
2. European common challenges are transnational but public opinions remain nation-based.
3. Cultural diversity is a source of wealth for Europe but transnational citizens' participation systems are still to be developed.

What for?

It was deemed urgent to build new participation systems enabling restoration of trust between citizens and decision-makers. This initaitive was to contribute to the challenge and particularly aimed to :

1. Work within a European perspective rooted in diversity of local realities.
2. Present a citizens' report to decision-makers for use as a complementary decision-making tool.
3. Establish a platform of exchange between citizens and politicians.
4. Raise and sustain public debate.
5. Stimulate participation learning.

With whom?

This initiative has been devised with the collaboration of different institutions across Europe. It could only be achieved with a broad financial and methodological partnership established with European and regional public institutions, foundations and other private institutions involved in participatory governance and/or the future of rural spaces on a European scale.

Process

The process was conducted on two levels, regional then European:

1. 8 regional citizens' panels, of which 2 cross-border, with 337 citizens speaking 6 languages and originating from 10 regions of Europe;
2. 87 delegates from all regional panel were gathered in 1 European panel. They developed a truly European perspective through a European set of recommendations that was presented to European institutions and largely disseminated to the general public.

The citizens' panels:

1. were randomly selected in a cross-section of society, where "lay citizens" were serving as a microcosm of the population diversity;
2. were presented with balanced information, with the input of experts and stakeholders on the issues at stake;
3. drew up their report and recommendations;
4. presented their report to European and regional authorities, before a broader dissemination of the results.

This pilot initiative has been documented and evaluated by an independent organisation to ease its adaptation and application to new European issues.

When

More info

More information on this initiative:

• Final citizens report and information about the whole initiative and process:
  What roles for rural areas in tomorrow's Europe ? Regional and European perspectives from the European Citizens' Panel initiative
• Pierre-Yves Guihéneuf (2008) Chronique d’une conférence de citoyens - L’avenir des espaces ruraux européens en question (book in French)

More information on deliberative democracy and citizens' panels, their objectives and methodology as well as links to other citizens' panels initiated or contributed to by the Foundation for Future Generations.