AER European Citizens' Forum. Students: We must take Europe forward!

Continuing to bring citizens closer to the European Union, the Assembly of European Regions (AER) in partnership with the Region of Alsace-F and the students of the IEP (Institut d'Etudes Politiques) of Strasbourg organised today a citizens' forum entitled 'Europe and its Neighbours'. This was a forum for students wanting to extend their knowledge of European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP).

Fifty students from more than 10 European countries exchanged views with European Foreign Policy experts and listened to the experiences of two students from non-EU member countries, Belarus and Morocco. They discussed in particular the enlargement of the Schengen Area on December 22nd and its implications for the future of ENP.

Participants concluded that there was a wider problem behind European neighbourhood policy: What is Europe and what is the future of Europe?

"The answer to these questions lies in the hands of young European citizens. They will have to carry out a new European project. They will have to engage themselves and be enthusiastic in the creation of a new European utopia, which is imperative if Europe is to move forward!" said Claude Sardais, President of the "France-Poland for Europe" Association.

"Meetings such as this show us that citizens want a better knowledge of Europe, so it is our role to keep organising them!" said Malgorzata Kucinska, AER Youth Officer. Other citizens' forums have already been planned with that in mind:

• November 2007 - "Youth and the Future of Europe: What does Europe mean to you? Europe in the eyes of young people from Silesia", in the Slaskie Region-PL.
• 30 November 2007 - "First Year of the Romanian Membership in the European Union: Opportunities for Romanian citizens", in Iasi County-RO.

The Assembly of European Regions (AER.eu) is the independent organisation of the regions in wider Europe.Bringing together more than 260 regions from 33 countries and 14 interregional organisations, AER is the political voice of its members and a forum for interregional lobbying and co-operation.

AER Contacts: Richard Medic, Spokesperson / Director of Press and Communications, r.medic@aer.eu - Tel (mob) +33 678 695 235 or Francine Huhardeaux, Press & Communications Officer, f.huhardeaux@aer.eu - Tel. +33 3 88 22 74 49