06 May 2022 - Europe Day 2022 celebrates unity in Europe and the official date, the 9th of May, marks the anniversary of the historic Schuman declaration.

The 9th of May is Europe Day, and it commemorates the first move towards the creation of what has today become the European Union. This celebration recalls the importance of the role played by Robert Schuman in the start of the Coal and Steel Community and the integration process that this has triggered. 

In his historic speech, made on 9 May 1950, Robert Schuman proposed the establishment of a new form of cooperation between the countries of a European continent ravaged by the disastrous effects of two world wars.

In these challenging times, it is crucial to reappraise Schuman's life in order to take inspiration from the vision, values, and experiences of a man who sought to bring together all people of Europe under two fundamental principles: peace and solidarity. 

Image: @European Commission/ Twitter account

This celebration also provides an opportunity to reflect on the current and real situation, which changes daily. It is a day when people can acknowledge the achievements in their everyday lives, in a European Union based on rule of law principles, popular sovereignty, and values that are now accepted and shared by the vast majority of European people. The meaning of the celebration lies in its commemoration of the path that allowed to consolidate these principles and values without taking for granted every achievement.

In honour of the pioneering work of Robert Schuman toward a united Europe, the area housing the headquarters of several European Union institutions in Brussels is named after him.

The Fabric of Europe is a work of art born from real data-weaving representing the construction of the European Union and the governance of the Council of the European Union. You can find more here. (Image: Total Croatia News)

This year, the Open Day will take place on the 7th of May. For those in Brussels, tomorrow you can visit the buildings of the European Commission, the Council of the EU, and the European Parliament from 10:00 to 18:00. On-site, you will find general information about the EU with areas dedicated to the environment, digital transformation, and youth, with many games and activities for the whole family. 

There will also be several live events online on social media for those who cannot be present. 

Learn more about Europe Day and events here and also from this Factsheet.

Online and in-person events at the Council UE, European Commission, and the European Parliament

Explore also all the activities organised in Croatia by the Representative Office of the European Commission.

We would like to remember also that the year 2022 marks the European Year of Youth and the importance of young Europeans in achieving a better future, seeking to be greener, digital-friendly, and healthier. And if you are looking for more information about activities taking place in Croatia, contact the National Coordinator from the EU Member States by accessing this link.  

Enjoy all the activities during this European weekend all over Europe. 

ZAGREB, 13 Feb 2022 - EU citizens attending the Conference on the Future of Europe on Sunday called for establishing a joint EU army, taking decisions on foreign policy issues by qualified majority, and adopting a common migration policy.

A total of 184 citizens from all EU member states met in Maastricht on Friday and Saturday to formulate through smaller working groups, policy proposals on the topic "EU in the world and migration". They voted on the proposals on Sunday, with a majority vote of 70% being required for their adoption. Only six of 46 recommendations were not adopted.

EU citizens called for establishing joint EU armed forces and also called for changing the way decisions on foreign policy issues are made.

Currently each member-state has a right of veto and EU citizens recommended making decisions by qualified majority, which is a major bone of contention between the proponents and opponents of further EU integration.

Its opponents believe it is a step towards turning the EU into a federation where the strongest members would be able to impose their own will more easily, while its proponents stress that unanimous decision-making prevents the EU's affirmation as a global actor comparable with the USA and China.

Still, they propose that one should continue to make decisions on the admission of new members and changes to the Treaty on EU unanimously.

On the issue of EU enlargement, citizens concluded that it was necessary to consolidate the EU's identity before new members joined.

They also proposed facilitating the introduction of sanctions against member-states, organisations and individuals violating the Treaty on EU.

In favour of common migration policy

EU citizens also advocated a common EU migration policy based on solidarity. They also called for replacing the Dublin Regulation with a new legally binding regulation to secure a just, balanced and proportional distribution of asylum-seekers.

They recommended establishing a single European mechanism for the import of labour outside of the EU in line with market needs, as well as strengthening the border protection agency, Frontex, and reviewing its work so far.

They underlined the need for greater transparency to prevent abuse in the treatment of migrants.

EU citizens also proposed greater production subsidies in the European farm, health and digital sectors, as well as in environmental protection technologies. They also recommended reducing dependence on natural gas and oil, and instead make larger investments on public transportation infrastructure and alternative energy sources such as hydrogen.

They called for restricting imports from countries that tolerate child labour, as well as greater control of possible human rights violations in the production of imported goods. They also proposed introducing "eco-rating" for all products to include the level of CO2 emissions from production and transport, the level of harmful substances, etc.    

Previously, as part of the Conference and after a panel debate in Warsaw, citizens adopted conclusions on health and climate policies, while at their first December panel in Florence they put forward policy proposals from the area of EU values and security.

The last panel will be held in Dublin, and recommendations from 800 EU citizens, chosen randomly by market research agencies to reflect the EU's demographic and socioeconomic structure, will be considered by European institutions at a joint plenary session.

A total of 80 citizens, 20 each from the Conference's four panels, will discuss the proposed policies with members of the European Parliament, representatives of EU governments and parliaments, European commissioners, representatives of unions, employers, civil society and others, at the plenary session of the Conference on the Future of Europe.

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ZAGREB, 27 Nov, 2021 - Migrations towards Europe are definitely a problem that needs to be discussed, but so should migrations within the European Union, it was said at the opening of the fourth panel discussion of the Conference on the Future of Europe, taking place from Friday to Sunday.

Faced with a drop in citizens' trust, the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council of the EU in September and October invited 800 randomly selected EU citizens to discuss topics important for the 27-member bloc in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. A group of 200 citizens will discuss migrations and the status of the EU in the world at the fourth panel, taking place from Friday to Sunday.

Dragan Volarević, a pensioner from Zadar and one of the three Croatians participating in discussions this weekend, called for putting on the agenda the topic of migration of people from eastern to western EU members.

"Around 10% of Croatians have emigrated, mostly young and highly educated people who are needed in every country. I was surprised the most by the fact that the first person to support me was a young Dutchman who is also interested in this topic even though his country does not have the problem of emigration of young people," Volarević told Hina.

He believes that the EU should help countries like Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania create favourable conditions for young people to stay and work in their countries.

As for immigration from third countries, participants in the panel agreed that EU countries should show solidarity with refugees and migrants.

Migration is a burning issue across Europe, notably Mediterranean countries, as well as in Poland, Great Britain and on the border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

We must avoid human losses if we want to call ourselves civilised countries but we are not doing enough to define concrete solutions, said Antonio from Italy.

For solutions to be defined, politicians should listen more, says Volarević, who described his experience at the first panel session in Strasbourg last month.

"During debates in working groups, members of the European Parliament had answers prepared in advance, and while presenting them they spoke of different, often unrelated topics, without keeping track of time, which is why only two citizens had the opportunity to speak," he said.

The second panel session, dedicated to migrations and global politics, was held online. Ten sub-topics were presented at it on Friday, of which five are related to migrations while the other fire have to do with the status of the EU in the world, and they will be discussed in greater detail by working groups on Saturday.

As regards migrations, EU citizens will work on recommendations on border control, on how to respond to illegal border crossings, how to facilitate access to official border crossings, how to integrate migrants in the labor market and education system, and how to facilitate the acquisition of EU citizenship.

With regard to the EU's status in the world, the discussion will focus on the EU's external policy which is in line with its values, such as promotion of democracy and human rights, changes in decision-making in the field of external policy so that the EU can define itself as a global power and strengthen the common foreign policy, on European defence forces, policy towards Russia and China, and the strengthening of trade.

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ZAGREB, 17 Oct, 2021 - European Commission Vice-President Dubravka Šuica of Croatia believes Croatians are insufficiently interested in participation in the Conference on the Future of Europe, launched by the EU to convince citizens of its 27 member-states that their opinion, too, is important in decision-making.

Numerous citizens believe they have no influence on decisions made by EU politicians and bureaucrats so the EU's three main institutions - the European Commission, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament - have launched an online platform where citizens can offer their proposals on topics important for the bloc.

"More is expected of Croatia and Croats because so far they have reported 25 events and made 500 proposals and around 100 comments on our platform," Šuica, Commissioner for Democracy and Demography, told the Yammat FM radio station.

She considers these figures to be low.

"We (Croatians) like to speak when it is too late," she said, calling on Croatian citizens to present their ideas on the Conference on the Future of Europe website.

Debates can be organised by citizens and groups of citizens at county and local levels and conclusions can be reported on the digital platform by the end of the year.

"Their ideas will be taken into account in an analysis next spring," Šuica promised.

On Friday, she opened in Strasbourg the last of four panels at which randomly chosen EU citizens discuss topics relevant for the EU.

Among the 200 EU citizens whose travel and accommodation expenses as well as daily allowances have been paid for are three Croatians - two pensioners and a student, from Istria and Zadar- They will present their opinions on the EU in the world and migration at the panel, to last until Monday.

In September and October, 800 EU citizens have taken part in the panels, after which additional online panels will follow. Their proposals are expected to be formulated into a proposal to the European Commission in spring.

Šuica claims that the EC will take those proposals into account, mostly when making laws.

"The main purpose of this conference is to debunk the myth about the Brussels bubble and make EU citizens participants in the creation of European policies, so they can see that they themselves can influence the final outcome," she said.

"Until now people thought that that was not possible or happened only here. That's not true but such is the perception," she said.

Fifty-eight percent of Croatians do not trust the EU and only 38% trust it, shows a survey by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, conducted in September 2020.

On average, 47% of EU citizens trust the EU while 45% do not.

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Strasbourg, 18 April 2019 - Croatian MEP Tonino Picula supported the report on the proposal of the regulation on the European [Union] border and coast guard during the last plenary session in Strasbourg.

"I'm glad that we'll have stronger support from the European Union in the control of our borders and European [Union] borders,'' he concluded during yesterday's debate on the report on the proposal of the European Parliament.

Croatia's MEP Picula was the initiator of the successful extension of the European Coastal and Border Guard for the Schengen area along the external borders of the European Union, including the Republic of Croatia, and he stressed how the new agency will help to better protect the borders in order to preserve free movement inside the European Union.

Thus, today the Croatian foreign border is protected a part of Schengen, and the Republic of Croatia has the funds of the European border and coast guard available to it, which greatly eases the job of border officials.

The European Border and Coast Guard consists of the border police and coastal police of member states and the agency for the European border and coastguard, more specifically Frontex, and was established in the autumn of 2016. 

"Since I come from Croatia, the country with the longest foreign land border in the EU, I especially support the work of the agency along the external borders of the Union, not just the Schengen area, from which we are still closed off with barbed wire,'' he pointed out.

Only four months after Croatia's accession to the Schengen Information System, it was done 75 million controls and identified over 4000 offenses. This proves the importance of Croatia as a partner in securing the external borders of the European Union and justifies its quicker connection Schengen area.

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