Citizens Consulted on EU Environment and Energy Policy

Ljubljana, 20 April

Slovenian citizens believe that the EU's role in environmental and energy policy should be to supply EU citizens with unbiased information and to introduce measures that encourage economical energy use and the production of clean energy, according to the results of an EU-wide project presented in Ljubljana on Friday.

It is important that politicians are informed about the views and priorities of EU citizens at a time when EU institutions are perceived as being alienated from citizens, chair of the parliamentary EU Foreign Policy Committee Anton Kokalj said as the results were presented at the National Assembly.
The The European Citizens' Consultations is a project that gives randomly selected people an opportunity to discuss topics important for the future of the EU and to present their viewpoints and proposals for policy-making in their countries and EU institutions.
The main topics of this year's consultations with Slovenian citizens, organised in Portoroz on 10 and 11 February, were environmental and economic impacts of energy consumption, socio-economic conditions of families, the EU's role in the world, and migration management.
According to the project, which included 45 participants, the EU should also make efforts to draft and implement legislation which would pave the way to a labour market that guarantee social equality for all generations. The respondents also believe that the EU should also promote activities to raise birth rate across Europe.
Migration issues should be tackled through the funding of proactive measures in education and employment in developing countries, migration monitoring within the Schengen information system and the determination of minimum standards for a successful integration of immigrants.
The project, organised by NGOs from the EU, is a part of the Plan D for Democracy, Dialogue and Debate, launched by the European Commission in 2005 and aimed at enhancing public discussion on the future of the EU.
Results of the consultations organised in February and March will be presented to policy-makers at the national and EU level after the final consultation on 9 and 10 May.