European Conference on European Democracy (EUDEM) - Salzburg, Austria, 3-4 May 2012

European Citizens’ initiative conference

(Photo left to right) Johannes W. Pichler, Director of the Austrian Institute for Law and Policy, Henri Malosse, President of the Employers Group of the European Economic and Social Council, Anne-Marie Sigmund, former President of the European Economic and Social Council, Luc Van den Brande, President of the CIVEX Committee of the Committee of the Regions, and Andreas Kiefer, Secretary General of the Congress

Salzburg, 04.05.2012 – “A renewed participatory model of democracy will require a new, decentralised system of multi-level governance, based on a comprehensive framework for citizen participation and be supported by active democratic citizenship and by possibilities for direct cross-border co-operation and interaction at the level closest to the citizen’’, said Andreas Kiefer, Congress-Secretary General at the first European Conference on European Democracy (EUDEM) held in Salzburg, Austria, on 3-4 May 2012. Representatives of the Committee of the Regions, the Economic and Social Council of the EU, experts, researchers and civil society met in a first interdisciplinary conference to discuss the implications of the new instrument of citizens’ initiatives in Art. 9 – 12 of the Lisbon Treaty.

Local and regional authorities have a key role to play in the new system by ensuring ‘proximity governance’ and the grassroots implementation of European and national policies. Participation at local level must go hand in hand with local integration for better social cohesion, as well as policies fostering intercultural dialogue between population groups and engaging them in democratic processes for the benefit of the entire community.

For its part, the Council of Europe and its Congress can bring to this new system its toolbox of legal instruments, its wealth of experience in democracy-building gained over six decades, and its pan-European outreach and direct access to both local and regional authorities AND national governments across the continent. The new democratic dimension in the 27 member states of the European Union will trigger activities also in the Council of Europe and the Congress is ready to cover the local and regional dimension in close cooperation with the Committee of the Regions.