Democratising economic policymaking – Yes, we can! 

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Draft Agenda

Moderator: Ingeborg Niestroy, SDG Watch Europe / RIFS - Research Institute for Sustainability

11:15 – 11:30: Welcome and introduction:

  • REAL DEAL project: Citizen deliberation for the European Grean Deal and the European Semester task:  
  • Ingeborg Niestroy, Project coordinator REAL DEAL

11:30 – 12:15: Panel discussion on the participation of civil society and stakeholders in the European Semester and economic policymaking:

  • Lucianajulia Pace, European Commission, Secretariat-General, RRF Task Force – European Semester, Investment and Finance (Recover.C.1) 

  • Reform of stakeholder participation in the European Semester: EESC opinion (April 2023): Luca Jahier, President of the EESC European Semester Group 

  • Real Deal Case Denmark: Mathias Zachau, Nyt Europa 

  • Real Deal Case Italy: Andrea Bonicatti, Alleanza Italiana per po Sviluppo (ASviS) Sostenibile 

  • Real Deal Case Germany on ‘Growth and Sustainability’: Judith Hermann, Forum Environment and Development  

  •  

12:15 – 12:40: Discussion with the public

12:40 - 12:45: Closure

Concept Note

In the workshop at Civil Society Days 2023 we asked "Can we democratise the European economy through the European Semester?" Now we want to follow it up with "Yes, we can!"

 Involvement of civil society organisations in the European Semester is poor, and this has become more pressing with the now established links between the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and the Semester. The EESC's European Semester Group has  proposed a reform laying down minimum standards for consultation.

The EU Horizon project REAL DEAL looks at citizen and stakeholder dialogue for the European Green Deal. Civil society organisations are collaborating with researchers in conducting discussion events at EU level and in 13 Member States. One task focuses on the European Semester, with test cases in Denmark and Italy, and on economic policy in Germany. We are experimenting with formats and approaches for citizen and stakeholder dialogue during the different phases of the European Semester cycle, with a focus on the relationship between these two groups. Previous citizen assemblies have revealed a need for improvement, and we are aiming to develop recommendations for the Semester process.

In the session we present experience from our first event in Denmark, held in November/December 2023. We conducted three preparatory webinars and a two-day in-person event. The recommendations were taken on board by NytEuropa in consultations carried out as part of the Commission’s factfinding mission in January. Lessons learned are feeding into the planning of two events in Italy on the Semester, and similar discussion events on economic policies in Germany in the coming months.

The preliminary results and plans of these experiments will be presented and discussed in the workshop session. This will be done against the backdrop of previous findings on the participation of organised civil society in general, in both the Semester and the RRF process. We will also discuss the EESC’s opinion (04/2023) on reforming participation in the European Semester, including  how our practical proposals may fit with its recommendations.

Discussion questions: What role could, or should CSOs and citizens play in the future of the European Semester?

Work organisation