EU Ombudsman O'Reilly on EF project (Citizens - EU Decision-Makers Debates Before Acts): BIG ISSUE !

*Strasbourg/EU-Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- A Key EU Personality : the EU Ombudswoman (alias : EU Defensor of Citizens' Rights), Emily O'Reilly, from Ireland, Replying to an "Eurofora" Question about Our Project for mainly Web-Based EU Citizens' Public Debates with EU Decision-Makers (as, f.ex. MEPs, etc) Before Taking Measures which Affect their Lives and/or Society at large, observed that it's, indeed, "a Huge Issue", but also "a Matter of Political Will", for which, Nowadays, the Doors "May be Open !", (See Infra).

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(Exceptionaly Long Queu waiting to Enter EU Parliament's Building in Strasbourg for 2018 EYE Event, after a RainStorm Hindered to use an initially prepared Campus)

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    O'Reilly was speaking in Strasbourg, between the conclusion of EU Parliament's May Plenary Session and the Beginning of "EYE" Annual Event, with the participation of Thousands of Young People from all over Europe, President Tajani and other MEPs, EU Experts, etc., in EU Parliament's Building here for 2 Days, Friday and Saturday, 1+2 June 2018, which is the last Big Event before the Electoral Campaign for the forthcoming May 2019 European Elections : I.e. amidst such an ambiant noise (given the Popular Success of this Event, as a relevant Photo clearly shows, that she had to Carefully concentrate her Attention in order to clearly hear what "Eurofora" had to say)...

  - In "Eurofora"s Question to EU Ombudswoman, we observed that O'Reilly has "Recently spoken very much about the Transparency of the (EU) Decision-Making process, and, also, about the Participation of Citizens and Civil Society", (already since Early February 2018: See "Eurofora"s NewsReport at ...). But, as you know, onOther Aspect of Lisbon Treaty's Article 11, speaks about a Possibility for "Regular Dialogue", as well as about the "Expression" of EU Citizens' Views, and "Exchanges" on the "Acts" of the EU Authorities, including, f.ex., EU Parliament, and others.

=> - "Do you think that it would be Good, on this (Legal) Basisn to Initiate, (in the "Softest" and Easier posssible way for all), Public Debates between EU Citizens, Civil Society, etc., and, f.ex., EU Parliament's key MEPs, Before Decisions are taken, which may Affect their Lives, and/or All the Society ?", we queried.

 "In this way, f.ex. EU Parliament could have a View of EU Citizens' opinions on the Issues on which it might Debate and/or Vote. It could also give an Opportunity to EU Decision-Makers to Explain the Reasons for which they might take one or another Decision", "Eurofora" observed.

 - "F.ex., a Week Before the Plenary, EU Citizens might have a Chance, thanks also to Digital Technologies, to Express their Views and hold a Debate, eventually we practicaly observed.

- New French President Emanuel Macron has just Told Us that he would be in Favour of such a Development, extending even After the forthcoming EU Parliament's Elections of May 2019, as well as some Others. But You (as EU's Ombudswoman/Defensor of EU Citizens) are at a Key EU Position for that.

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- "Yeah", O'Reilly spontaneously reacted, particularly on the "Regular Dialogue" point of the above mentioned Lisbon Treaty's Article 11...

 - "I take the Overall Point, about People to be Able to Engage (in Dialogue with EU Decision-Makers), Before Decisions are made", the EU Ombudswoman told "Eurofora" at the Beginning of her Reply.

 - "That's a Huge Issue !", Emily O'Reilly observed from the outset, with a Serious look.

- "Obviously, there are All Sorts of Ways in which this could be Attempted to be done, f.ex., via Public Debates, Consultations, etc., she pointed out.

- Recently, "what I've been Trying to do is to make EU Council more accountable for Transparency, because People doN't yet known what Positions the EU Member States are Taking", she reminded, (Comp. : ..., etc).

 - On what you ("Eurofora") said, "sometimes, the Responsibility is, of course, also on Brussels (i.e., f.ex., EU Commission, etc) to Engage" (in Dialogue with EU Citizens on forthcoming Decisions), she Acknowledged.

-  "But it's also on (EU) Member States (i.e. EU Council, etc), as well, in relation to Their Citizens, their Parliaments, etc", she observed, in Reply to "Eurofora"s Question, i.e Interestingly pointing at a Wider Dimension of this matter, including also the National Public Administrations' relations with Citizens, (a Topical aspect on which "Eurofora"' co-Founder has been notoriously working in the framework of an original Legal Research at a "Doctorat d'Etat" level in the French University, since a Long Time ago, but also Nowadays).

 - "They (People) very Often Don't even Know what really Europe has done, (by Radio, TV, Newspapers, etc), while they know about EveryDay Life Politics", and so on, she observed, (also as a former Experienced, Long-Time Journalist).

 - Usually, "It Seems that it's Very Hard" for EU News to reach out to the People. "But, actually, one of the Good points about it, (i.e. Dialogue between EU Authorities and Citizens : Comp. Supra), is that", even without being "Dramatic", "I think that (EU) "Citizens are going to Consider this, (i.e.) to Learn something (in Reply) from the Politicians who are Making important (EU) Decisions here", O'Reilly observed Positively. speaking about EU Parliament's Building.

- Otherwise, in the Past, Statistics indicate that, in some Countries, only a Small Percentage of Young People Voted in EU Elections. And, in general, Often these People "do Not Relaize the Power that EU Organisations have got in recent years, Not even the Power that they have themselves, as Voters, to collectively choose this or that Political Majority, of the Right, the Left, or Center, etc, by Voting in EU Elections.

Obviously, as a matter of normal Democratic way of functioning, EU Citizens' Votes could, afterwards, logically Reward or Sanction, this or that Political Group, according to the Outcome of a previous Dialogue with them on EU Decisions affecting their Life and/or Society at large, as "Eurofora" suggested (Comp. Supra).

- But, the concrete Developpement, or not, of such Exchanges between EU Decision-Makers and EU Citizens, according also to Liisbon Treaty's Article 11, as "Eurofora" had hinted (Comp. Supra), in fact, it's a Matter of Political Will !", O'Reilly stressed in Reply.

+ However, Questioned, subsequently, by "Eurofora", if she Felt that, "Nowadays, the Door is Open, or Closed", in this regard, the EU Ombudswoman, after a Thoughtful moment, chose to Enigmatically, but quite Optimistically, Reply, with a Smile : - "I think that it May be Open !"...

(../..)

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(NDLR : "DraftNews", as already send, Earlier, to "Eurofora" Subscribers/Donors. A more accurate, full Final Version, might be published asap)

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