Making the most of EU citizenship - Erminia Mazzoni

HEARING ON EU CITIZENSHIP 19 FEBRUARY 2013 AGENDA
Making the most of
EU citizenship
Venue: European Parliament, Rue de Trèves 1A, József Antall building (JAN) room 4Q1
9.15 – 9.45
Arrival and accreditation of participants
Morning session
09:45
Opening words
• Juan Fernando López Aguilar MEP, Chairman of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
• Evelyn Regner MEP, First Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Legal Affairs
• Françoise Le Bail, Director-General for Justice, European Commission
10:15
Panel I: Strengthening EU Citizenship
Moderator: Philippe Boulland MEP
Panel discussion:
• Adina-Ioana Vălean MEP, Rapporteur for the 2010 EU Citizenship Report
• Michael Cashman MEP
• Anna Maria Corazza Bildt MEP
• Kamaljit Bharath, petitioner
• Tony Venables, Director of the European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) and Tony McQuinn, Chief Executive
of the Irish Citizens’ Information Board
• Alison Mc Donnell, Europa Institute Leiden University, Associate Editor of the Common Market Law Review
• Paul Nemitz, Director – Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, DG Justice, European Commission
Main topics:
• Remaining obstacles to EU citizens’ enjoyment of their rights under EU law (hurdles in cross border situations,
follow-up to the 2010 EU Citizenship Report and results of the 2012 public consultation on EU citizenship)
• Concrete solutions to remove remaining obstacles and reinforce EU Citizenship (looking towards the 2013 EU
Citizenship Report)
The above introduction by panel will be followed by an exchange of views.
13:00
Light lunch

Afternoon session
14:30
Introduction
Address by Erminia Mazzoni MEP, Chairwoman of the Committee on Petitions and György Gémesi,
Mayor of Gödöllö (Hungary), Committee of the Regions Rapporteur on EU Citizenship and EU voting rights
14:45
Panel II: Fostering political participation of EU citizens
Moderator: Antigoni Papadopoulou MEP, Rapporteur for the European Year of Citizens 2013
Panel discussion:
• Antonio López-Istúriz White, Secretary-General of the European People’s Party
• Yonnec Polet, Deputy Secretary General of the Party of European Socialists
• Heinz Becker MEP
• Jacqueline Cotterill, petitioner
• Catherine Kessedjian, Deputy Director, European College of Paris
• Romano Subiotto QC, Solicitor-Advocate at the Brussels and London Bar
• Chiara Adamo, Head of Unit – Union citizenship and Free movement, DG Justice, European Commission
Main topics:
• Promoting EU citizens’ political participation in the EU (increasing turnout in elections, strengthening
democratic awareness of citizens and democratic accountability of institutions, and developing a genuine
European public space)
• Enhancing citizens’ voting rights in the EU (addressing notably disenfranchisement)
The above introduction by panel will be followed by an exchange of views.
16:30
Viviane Reding, Vice-President of the European Commission, Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights
and Citizenship