Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1467182
14 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 MAY 2022 NEWS Europe's blueprint for the future NICOLE MEILAK SIX months of working groups and citizens' panels have cul- minated in 325 proposals put forward by Europeans on the future they want for the bloc. Last week the Conference on the Future of Europe came to a close, with a document of meas- ures and proposals present- ed across nine chapters. The conference's final event will take place in Strasbourg next Monday with speeches from European Parliament president Roberta Metsola, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and current Council President Emanuel Macron. The final document is the fruit of months of delibera- tion among citizens from all 27 member states to set the agen- da for the EU's coming years. People were able to participate in events across the bloc and submit ideas on the EU's mul- tilingual digital platform. On Europe Day, the report will be hande With the final proposals drafted, we take a look at some of the key highlights from the document and identify what Maltese people contributed to the project. What did Malta put forward? Maltese people put forward several ideas and proposals throughout the conference. Many called for a common Eu- ropean army and others raised concern on working conditions and the reintegration of elderly people in the active population. Regarding migration, many Maltese participants expressed discomfort with unregulated non-EU migration and advo- cated for a common migration policy at EU level. At one Mal- tese event people discussed in- creasing internship opportuni- ties for young people in school. Many contributed to the sub- ject of digital rights, with calls to ensure internet access for all. However, data privacy was a key concern among partici- pants at an event on health in Malta. Climate change and the envi- ronment EU countries, especially the warmer states in the south, are starting to grapple with the ma- terial effects of climate change such as wildfires and floods. In fact, one of the measures put forward by the conference is to support reforestation and afforestation, including forests lost by fire. But most of the proposals hinge around sustainable ag- riculture, enhanced energy se- curity, and better awareness on sustainability and climate change. Energy independence became a key issue over the winter for the EU. The colder months were dominated by record-high gas prices, and the conflict in Ukraine underlined Europe's dependence on Russia for its energy imports. Throughout the conference, EU citizens stated that they want more investments in re- newable energy and storage methods while reducing de- pendencies from oil and gas imports. For the just transition, citi- zens said that workers and jobs should be protected through- out. They called for adequate funding for the transition and resource, and a reform of the tax system with fairer taxation and anti-tax fraud measures. Health The health recommendations adopted by the conference fo- cus on access to healthy food, strong healthcare systems, and health literacy to promote pre- vention. One of the measures concerns medicinal dependency on third countries. One of the National Citizens' Panel's recommenda- tions was to ensure strategic autonomy at EU level so that member states avoid becoming too dependent on other coun- tries for medicines and medi- cal devices. This is particular- ly important for essential and priority medicines, but also for innovative medicines and treatments such as biotechnol- ogy solutions. To increase access to health, people proposed developing first aid courses while improv- ing the general understanding of mental health issues. They further proposed recognising, in terms of taxation, hormo- nal contraception products for medical reasons such as fibro- myalgia and endometriosis. Economy and jobs COVID-19 and the invasion of Ukraine had significant impacts on the EU economy, while transnational challenges like inequality and fair taxation persist. In light of this, Europe- an citizens are calling for sus- tainable economic growth that enhances the competitiveness of the block while deepening the Single Market. The measures put forward for this include enhancing upward social and economic conver- gence of the Single Market by completing existing initiatives such as the Banking Union and the Capital Markets Union. Citizens also want special at- tention to be given to SMEs in all new initiatives by adopting the "Think Small First" princi- ple in all EU's legislative pro- posals. Citizens called for more in- clusive labour markets to en- sure fairer working conditions. One measure wants to ensure that statutory minimum wages can guarantee workers a decent quality of life by adopting clear criteria, such as living costs and inflation, when setting minimum wage levels. On tax, citizens said that there should be harmonising and co- ordinating tax policies within the member states to prevent tax evasion and avoidance, The Conference on the Future of Europe ends formally on Monday. A look at the citizens' proposals outlines what could be the first of the EU's deliberative democratic assemblies for citizens