The fifth Plenary of Conference on the Future of Europe, taking place in Strasbourg on 25 and 26 March, will meet to start work on its final proposals, which will be based on the recommendations from both national and European Citizens' Panels, the input gathered from the Multilingual Digital Platform and debates in the Conference Plenary and Working Groups. Paulo RANGEL (EPP, PT) as EP member of the working group European Democracy for the COFOE, Helmut SCHOLZ (The Left, DE), EP member of the working group Values and rights, rule of law, security for the COFOE, Laurence FARRENG (Renew) as EP coordinator of the working groupe Education, culture, youth and sport for the COFOE, Marc ANGEL (S&D, LU), EP coordinator of the working group Migration for the COFOE, explaining how their groups are involved in the work on the final proposals. Illustrations of the opening of the plenary with Meps and citizens and chairs

VERHOFSTADT, Guy (Renew, BE)

Strasbourg

European Parliament

RANGEL, Paulo (EPP, PT)

European Commission

ANGEL, Marc (S&D, LU)

Executive Board of the Conference on the Future of Europe

Conference on the Future of Europe: Plenary session, ambiance shots, statements

Ambiance shots, corridors with COFOE participants, Strasbourg, France, 26/03/2022, (3 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English), Paulo RANGEL (EPP, PT), EP member of the working group European Democracy for the COFOE, The truth is that was very interesting that we had our first working document, but then the citizen said we really are not very satisfied with this because we would like to have a document that was even more based on the recommendations.So we redrafted this working document. And I'd say that now we have half of the documents more or less agreed and other after this deal with discussions and that will continue in the next plenary

SOUNDBITE (English), Paulo RANGEL (EPP, PT), EP member of the working group European Democracy for the COFOE, So it is very interesting because when you start to put some objections to some ideas. The imagination of the participants of the members of the conference is always working, trying to reach solutions where everybody could approve or at least could accept without reluctance. So it is really a very interesting process, and you give this example only not because he is going to be adopted, but because it is so divisive that the discussion was very substantial and very interesting

SOUNDBITE (English), Helmut SCHOLZ (The Left, DE), EP member of working group Values and rights, rule of law, security for the COFOE, We want to have concrete proposals, precise themes, which has to be introduced into the conclusions and follow our policies. And so the citizens, of course, heard our recommendation should be in the centre, but partly they also understand that confessing that they don't know exactly how the European policy is functioning, how we are coming to true lawmaking, etc.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helmut SCHOLZ (The Left, DE), EP member of working group Values and rights, rule of law, security for the COFOE, Values are the basis for our co-living of our core working in the European Union with the 27 member states. And here I would say the strong expression in this working group is these values can't be negotiated. They can't be bargained for the interests of one member states or a certain group of people of citizens within the European Union against each others. So I think that would be also clear and one of the disputed question and not yet solved. So we have to continue to work a lot

SOUNDBITE (French), Laurence FARRENG (Renew, FR), EP coordinator of working group Education, culture, youth and sport for the COFOE, Finally, what citizens tell us, we want to have this common education base and on topics that are important to us: the environment, digital technology and especially our critical thinking in relation to the manipulation of information, fake news and also on topics that are close to our heart, that is to say how do we become real European citizens through a common culture and common lessons

SOUNDBITE (English), Marc ANGEL (S&amp;D, LU), EP coordinator of working group Migration for the COFOE, I'm always very motivated in the group when I see the citizens and how active they are. And what is so interesting is these are European citizens from the 27 countries. So it's not what I had a bit of a problem. We will have 27 national debates on the future of Europe. No, this is a European debate with the huge diversity of the citizens, diversity of national backgrounds of culture. But still, we we came to a common ground and I see that was very positive

SOUNDBITE (English), Marc ANGEL (S&amp;D, LU), EP coordinator of working group Migration for the COFOE, What is interesting, I would say that the migration subject now with the crisis we have with the war in Ukraine and three million people coming to the European Union and what the citizens recommendations were drafted before that war. But they were very anticipatory. And I think this is very good and this is a message the Council should hear. What the citizens want is unity, solidarity and they were very happy that finally, we found this unity also between the governments

Ambiance shots,  COFOE participants reaching the chamber, Strasbourg, France, 26/03/2022, (4 shots)

Ambiance shots,  COFOE participants in the chamber, Strasbourg, France, 26/03/2022, (14 shots)