Motion for a recommendation | Doc. 13105 | 22 January 2013

European Forum about the future

Signatories: Mr Latchezar TOSHEV, Bulgaria, EPP/CD ; Mr David BAKRADZE, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Mr Boriss CILEVIČS, Latvia, SOC ; Mr Michael CONNARTY, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Renato FARINA, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Hans FRANKEN, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Mr Jean-Charles GARDETTO, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Mr Andreas GROSS, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Andres HERKEL, Estonia, EPP/CD ; Mr Andrej HUNKO, Germany, UEL ; Mr Tadeusz IWIŃSKI, Poland, SOC ; Mr Roman JAKIČ, Slovenia, ALDE ; Mr Ferenc KALMÁR, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Giorgi KANDELAKI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Mr Václav KUBATA, Czech Republic, EPP/CD ; Mr Jacques LEGENDRE, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Kerstin LUNDGREN, Sweden, ALDE ; Mr João Bosco MOTA AMARAL, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Ms Carmen QUINTANILLA, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Egidijus VAREIKIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD ; Mr Luca VOLONTÈ, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Piotr WACH, Poland, EPP/CD

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, notes that:

1. On 12 November 1997 the General Conference of UNESCO adopted the Declaration on the Responsibilities of the Present Generations towards Future Generations

2. In the Declaration of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe of 7 May 1999 adopted in Budapest, the rights of the future generations are considered also as an important challenge for the next millennium.

3. As a sign of political will many States have created their national committees on the Future dealing with long-term policies in various areas such as economic development, sustainable use of resources, renewable energy, measures to mitigate climate change, water resources, education in democratic citizenship, state of the nation and youth policies, quality of life, new technologies, etc.

4. The representatives of State institutions, scientists, futurists, NGOs, academics, politicians, private sector, media, associations of workers and of employers, churches, etc. are invited to participate in such forums and to be involved in interaction on these issues.

5. It would be of interest for United Europe to organize such a Forum about the Future, where issues of common interest for European citizens could be discussed such as democracy, European identity and values, the role of United Europe in the world, economy, foreign relations, human rights protection, climate change, and the use of resources, etc. This could be a generator of new ideas with wider support and fresh impetus for new policies not only for Europe, but also globally.

The Assembly calls upon the Committee of Ministers and member States of the Council of Europe to support the establishment of a European Forum for the Future.