Thematic, financial, and organisational framework for the Danish debate on the EU of the future – Citizens' Agenda

Heads of state and government decided to defer the implementation of the treaty establishing a European Constitution at a meeting of the European Council in June 2005, and to institute what was referred to as a "period of reflection" throughout the EU. This decision was based on the results of the referendums in France and the Netherlands which rejected the proposed constitution for the EU.

This led the Danish Prime Minister to convene a meeting with the parties represented in the Folketing on 8 August 2005, and a meeting with a number of the major movements and organisations on 10 August 2005. On the basis of these meetings, a decision was made that the activities involved in the Danish "period of reflection" should be coordinated by the Folketing's European Affairs Committee. The argument being the broad political representation in the committee and the many years of experience of EU issues possessed by its members.

Citizens Agenda and the themes of the debate

Under the heading "Citizens' Agenda", the Folketing's European Affairs Committee and af number of movements and organisations convened a socalled “Planning Group”, which agreed on a thematic, financial, and organisational framework for the Danish period of reflection.
 
The following five general questions reflect the thematical aspects of the framework:

1. Which of the cross-border problems that Europe is faced with should be given special emphasis in order to find solutions to them – and which role should the EU play in this connection?
2. Which problems connected with cooperation in the EU are greatest and how can they be solved? 
3. How should the debate on the future of Europe and a possible new treaty be organised to ensure breadth, depth, and legitimacy?
4. How can we strengthen citizens' participation in the EU?
5. Where are the borders of Europe ?
   

The members of the Planning Group are “Dansk Folkeoplysnings Samråd” (Danish Adult Education Association), "Demokrati i Europa" (Democracy in Europe), "Fagbevægelsen mod Unionen" (Trade Unions Against the Union), "Folkebevægelsen mod EU" (The Peoples Movement Against the EU), “Folkehøjskolernes Forening” (The Danish Folk High Schools), "JuniBevægelsen" (The JuneMovement), "Nyt Europa" (New Europe), and "Udfordring Europa" (Challenge Europe) .

Financing and organising the debate

The financial and organisational aspects of the agreement comprise a financial framework of DKK 17.5 million, which will be distributed via three pools.

• Pool 1 – DKK 6.5 million
  This amount will be administered by the Folketing and the European Affairs Committee with the inclusion of the movements and organisations gathered in the Planning Group.
  The money will be spent on initial and concluding arrangements as well as larger (nation-wide) arrangements. 

•  Pool 2 – DKK 4.0 million.
  This amount is earmarked for activities arranged by the movements and organisations that are members of the Planning Group: “Dansk Folkeoplysnings Samråd” (Danish Adult Education Association), "Demokrati i Europa" (Democracy in Europe), "Fagbevægelsen mod Unionen" (Trade Unions Against the Union), "Folkebevægelsen mod EU" (The Peoples Movement Against the EU), “Folkehøjskolernes Forening” (The Danish Folk High Schools), "JuniBevægelsen" (The JuneMovement), "Nyt Europa" (New Europe), and "Udfordring Europa" (Challenge Europe) or several of these jointly.
  

The DKK 4.0 million will be distributed on application to "Nævnet for Fremme af Debat og Oplysning om Europa" (The Board for Promoting Debate and Information on Europe). The following criteria will be emphasised in connection with distributing money for arrangements:

• That the arrangements are in line with the thematic framework.
  
• That the arrangements have a broad, all-round character.
  
• That the arrangements are common to all or as many as possible of the above-mentioned movements and/or organisations.
• That the arrangements have a major disseminating effect.

•  Pool 3 – DKK 6.4 million
  This amount is reserved for local or national measures organised on a decentral basis. Parties that have been returned to the Folketing are not eligible to apply for this money. The DKK 6.4 million will be distributed by "Nævnet for Fremme af Debat og Oplysning om Europa".

The following criteria will be emphasised in connection with distributing money for arrangements:

• That the arrangements are in line with the thematic framework.
  
• That the initiatives have the greatest possible breadth.
  

A minimum of DKK 2.5 million has been earmarked for local measures.

"Nævnet for Fremme af Debat og Oplysning om Europa" is responsible for the administration and distribution of the money. DKK 600,000 has been reserved for the board's administration in connection with this.

The money in pools 2 and 3 has been procured via a document in the amount of DKK 11 million, which was approved by the Folketing's Finance Committee. The amount was taken from the remainder of an appropriation of DKK 14 million that was not distributed and which, on application to "Nævnet for Fremme af Debat og Oplysning om Europa", would have been spent on providing information on the EU in connection with what is now the deferred referendum on the treaty establishing a European Constitution. The money in pool 1 (DKK 6.5 million) was financed by the Folketinget, of which DKK 3.5 million was taken from the grant not spent by the EU Information Centre in connection with the planned referendum, and DKK 3 million comes from the above-mentioned pool of DKK 14 million.