Do we as citizens participate in Europe? ¿Does the European citizenship know what is going on in the European Union?

One of the main facts that European Institutions face is the lack of citizenship participation in Europe. One of the challenges of Europe is to approach the information  about the EU to the civil society in an easy way in order to make citizens feel part of a common European society that considerates and appreciates their opinions.

Europa is currently focused on creating a European active citizenship. This means that it offers its citizens a series of instruments to strengthen the EU fundamental rights. The European Institutions as a whole are engaged in fostering measures that help citizens to participate more actively in Europe. This task will be reinforced thanks to the new role that the Lisbon Treaty gives to the European Parliament and to the national Parliaments.

In line with this, the Valencian Regional Government will hold a seminar in the seat of the Valencian Stock Exchange Market that will be aimed at analysing the methods and the communication tools used to talk about Europe both inside and outside the EU borders.

During the seminar "Communicate with Europe: your voice counts" there will be presentations about the role of the European Institutions, in which several Valencian experts will go deeply into the image of the EU in the world and the relationship of Valencian citizens with Europe.

This is included as part of the open days "Europa Tuya" aimed at getting the European reality closer to the Valencian citizens.

AGENDA:

09.30 Reception of participants

10.00 Official opening of the day
Honorable Sra. Dña. Paula Sánchez de León Guardiole
Regional minister of Justice and Public Administrations

10.30 'Communicating and participating in Europe'
The new European Parliament, an institution at the service of citizenship. Sr. D. Jaume Duch Guillot, Communication Media director and European Parliament spokesman.  
'Communication with the citizens and new spaces por participation': Dra. Susana del Río Villar, member of the Committee of Experts in participation of the civil society and governing.
Moderator:Ilmo. Sr.D.Rafael Ripoll,  valencian regional Vice-minister for European affairs .secretario autonómico de Relaciones con el Estado y la Unión Europea. Generalitat.

11.45 Coffe break

12.00 Europea projetion
'The image of Europe in the world' Dr.Jorge Cardona Llorens, Professor of International Públic Law at the University of Valencia.            'Valencian citizens in Europe' :Sr. D.Vicente Vidal Climent, executive director of the Fundación COSO.

Moderator: Ilmo. Sr. D.José Luis Villanueva García, Director General for  Exteranl Relations at the Valencian Regional Government. 

13.30 Closing ceremony