Written question – Decentralising democracy and strengthening civic participation through citizens’ assemblies throughout Europe – E-002788/2025

Question for written answer  E-002788/2025
to the Council
Rule 144
Valentina Palmisano (The Left)

Given the need to decentralise democracy and strengthen civic participation, citizens’ assemblies have proven to be an effective tool for fostering meaningful participation in decision-making processes. Although local and national citizens’ assemblies fall primarily within the competence of the Member States, the European Union can play an important role in fostering citizen involvement in European issues at national level.

In the light of the above:

• 1.What steps will the Council take to encourage Member States to organise citizens’ assemblies on European issues – thus providing citizens with a platform to engage with EU policy – and will they involve the EU Local Councillors Network, which aims to have representatives in every municipality who are tasked with promoting EU policies and raising citizen awareness and understanding of them?
• 2.How will the Council go about setting up a binding mechanism to integrate the recommendations made by national citizens’ assemblies on European issues into the decision-making process, thus ensuring that these opinions are seriously taken into account by the Member States and their governments?
• 3.What action will it take to support citizens’ assemblies in rural areas and in those where EU policy is either less of a factor or implemented to a lesser extent?

Submitted: 9.7.2025