Hosted by the Europe Direct Information Centres in Kaiserslautern, Besançon and Dijon (House of Europe) in cooperation with the Rheinland-Pfalz Haus in Burgundy-Franche-Comté and the Burgundy-Franche-Comté House in Rheinland-Pfalz, with the support of the Bürgerfonds/French-German Citizen Fund, the Burgundy-Franche-Comté Region and the Landtag von Rheinland-Pfalz, the European Committee of the Regions and the Bertelsmann Foundation – 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 every day that citizens want to have a more active role in the policy-making process, including at EU level. The primary objective of the Conference on the Future of Europe is to encourage European citizens and to facilitate their involvement in democracy beyond mere participation in 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 to enable European citizens to shape EU policies: by opening stronger and more constant communication channels 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 counts! Composition of the panel: The organisers will bring together a group of 20/22 voluntary citizens from different areas of the regional territory, paying particular attention to the balance between gender, age, jobs... 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. The participants will be given a mandate from the regional authorities, specifying the purpose and framework of the activity. Step 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 15 to 17 October 2021 in Rheinland-Pfalz from 26 to 28 November 2021 *** German and French groups will meet in both regions to discuss and discuss the future of the European Union. The programs include various visits and meetings (workshops, plenary sessions) with speakers and witnesses in the fields of agri-food, climate change, social inclusion, digital issues, etc. Interpretation will always be provided to facilitate communication between participants and guests. The organisers will oversee the drafting of the conclusions and the citizens’ opinion will be validated by the panel. Result We are committed to conveying the public opinion that emerges from the discussions: • 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 (websites, social networks, newspapers, institutional publications of the region...)