At its April plenary session, the EESC adopted a resolution on the Conference on the Future of Europe, in which it calls for "a new narrative grounded in the realities of everyday life", to reconnect and engage with European citizens. For this to happen, organised civil society must be involved and must be given a major role to play.

The resolution A new narrative for Europe contains a series of recommendations to make the most of the opportunity presented by the upcoming Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE) to design a more prosperous, sustainable and equitable future for the EU. The EESC President, Christa Schweng, stressed the importance of achieving tangible outcomes: "The Conference must make concrete and measurable progress and not just consist of non-binding discussions; in other words, the ideas expressed during the Conference events should result in concrete recommendations for EU action", she said.

Ms Schweng also reiterated the need to regain citizens' ownership of the EU: "The future of Europe also needs a new, positive narrative. We have to prove and remind everyone that Europe is a great place to be and to prosper. Moreover, the voice of organised European civil society cannot be side-lined: if we really want to bring the European project back to the citizens, civil society should be in the driving seat".

Among other aspects, the resolution outlines the need for a "fair and sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 crisis that paves the way to a more inclusive society and builds long-term competitiveness". The text also recognises the "paramount importance" of the dual green and digital transition and the need to seize the opportunity represented by the CoFoE to modernise and transform the EU's industrial sectors and their supply chains, so that they remain competitive in a world of lower emissions.

In short, the CoFoE should be the vehicle to bring about long-lasting change in the EU, including greater and more meaningful involvement for citizens and organised civil society in the European public sphere. (dgf)