Rheinland-Pfalz and Burgundy-Franche-Comté are committed to bringing the EU closer to citizens: 60 years of partnership 1962/2022. It is becoming increasingly clear each day that citizens want to have a more active role in the policy-making process, including at EU level. The overriding objective of the Conference on the Future of Europe is to encourage European citizens and facilitate their involvement in democracy beyond mere participation in the European elections. The Conference should not replace representative democracy but serve as a means of complementing and strengthening it. The Conference cannot be a mere stocktaking exercise. This must be a way of enabling European citizens to shape EU policies: by opening stronger and more constant channels of communication for citizens, with a variety of platforms for all Europeans to have their say, we can ensure that Europe truly meets the expectations of Europeans. The conference is an opportunity for the EU to show how it can continue to evolve. Action Plan Your Voice Matters! Composition of the panel: The organisers will bring together, on both sides, a group of 20/22 voluntary citizens from different areas of the regional territory, paying particular attention to gender balance, age, employment... Citizens will not necessarily have training or experience in the field of European affairs. NB: at least 5 participants under the age of 30, at least 5 people with fewer opportunities. Participants will be entrusted with a mandate from the regional authorities, specifying the purpose and framework of the activity. Stage 1 With the help of the Europe Direct centres, the German and French groups will discuss, separately, their representations of the European Union: how it acts or not, how its institutions work, what decisions affect our daily lives... Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions to various practitioners. 2nd stage 2 reciprocal visits: in Burgundy-Franche-Comté from October 15 to 17, 2021 in Rheinland-Pfalz from November 26 to 28, 2021 *** The German and French groups will meet in both regions to discuss and debate the future of the European Union. The programs include various visits and meetings (workshops, plenary) with speakers and witnesses in the fields of agri-food, climate change, social inclusion, digital issues...). Interpretation will always be provided to facilitate communication between participants and guests. The organisers will oversee the drafting of the conclusions and the opinion of the citizens will be validated by the panel. Result We commit ourselves to the citizen opinion emerging from the discussions being conveyed: • the French and German authorities (regional and national governments/ministers for European affairs) and the European authorities (Commission, Parliament, Committee of the Regions, European Economic and Social Committee); • to all the inhabitants of our regions (Internet sites, social networks, newspapers, institutional publications of the region...)