On Saturday, 19 June, Vita Anda Tērauda, Chair of the European Affairs Committee of the Saeima, Rihards Kols, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Igors Pimenovs, Secretary of the European Affairs Committee, participate in the inaugural plenary session of the Conference on the Future of Europe, held at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

"The focus is on the future of Europe – what it will look like, how green, sustainable, modern, and digital it will be. It is also on the question of whether the European Union is still a union of values - whether human rights and the rule of law are respected equally everywhere in Europe. And it is also about the ways of organising life in Europe so that its fantastic diversity is not a source of disagreement, but rather a source of strength for the future," stresses Tērauda, Chair of the European Affairs Committee. The Chair added that this plenary session brings together representatives from the parliaments of every European Union Member State, civil society, and European institutions to set out their vision on the kind of Europe we want to live in. 

Tērauda notes that the aim of the conference is to engage Europe's citizens in a common dialogue. A Multilingual Digital Platform has been created for the exchange of views and visions. "Throughout the year, we, the representatives of Latvia, will also listen to the ideas of Latvian people about our future, and we will ensure that Latvia's voice is heard in the common debate on changes to be implemented in Europe."

The ideas expressed by citizens will be discussed in working groups and plenary sessions at the Conference, where representatives of national parliaments will also be given an important role. The European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, and the European Commission will then look for ways to implement the proposals, said Tērauda.

The Conference on the Future of Europe was launched on 9 May 2021, Europe Day, by the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament, and the European Commission. The Conference is a citizen-led series of debates and discussions that provides people from across Europe with the opportunity to share their ideas and help shape the EU's common future. This Conference is the first of its kind in that it offers a new public forum for an open, inclusive, and transparent debate with citizens on a wide range of important topics.

Saeima Press Service