XXVII European Congress

3-4 July 2021
Valencia

Our Federal Europe - sovereign and democratic

The UEF XXVII European Congress - Our Federal Europe - sovereign and democratic will be the occasion to discuss the European Federalists' strategy, campaign and policy proposals for the many challenges Europe is facing today.

First of all, the Congress is a reason to celebrate! The UEF can look back on 75 years this year and is thus one of the organisations of the first hour that demanded a federal, sovereign and democratic Europe. The UEF is therefore linked to the European unification process in a special way. In the light of this, the Conference on the Future on the Future of Europe represents for us European Federalists a very special – a historical – moment that we could not have dreamed of a few years ago and which we must not let pass by unused. As UEF, we are accompanying the process very closely with our own campaign "Our federal Europe - sovereign and democratic". Finally, the Congress is also intended to conclude the internal organisational renewal process that we initiated last summer by agreeing on new Statutes and new Rules of Procedure and in addition to that by moving the seat of UEF from The Netherlands to Belgium.

Like all events for more than a year now, the UEF Congress is also subject to the strict regulations on face-to-face meetings justifiably imposed on all of us across Europe due to the pandemic. We considered for a long time what format the Congress should take and then decided on a so-called hybrid variant. We do not want to forego the pleasure of meeting people, which is inherent in a face-to-face event. We therefore organise the Congress in compliance with all hygiene requirements and follow social distancing.

On-site participation will therefore be limited to a certain number of participants. Admission to the on-site event will be based on the date of receipt of the registration until the maximum number of participants has been reached. For all other participants and observers, especially for those delegates who are unable to travel to Valencia due to the pandemic, we offer online participation. We are very grateful to UEF Spain, not only for their hospitality to UEF, but also for the extra organisational effort they take on to make this Congress possible during the pandemic period.

The Congress will be preceded by a “technical” Federal Committee Meeting on Saturday, 3 July 2021 to which we also cordially invite you.

Programme

Wednesday 23 June 2021, 18.30-20.30

Meeting of Political Commission 1: Institutions and Future of Europe/Working Group in preparation of the XXVII Congress
18.15 Technical check-in
18.30 Welcome and introduction - Anna Echterhoff, Secretary General of UEF
18.35 Debate on the resolutions and amendments presented in view of the Congress
- Presentation and Chair: Giulia Rossolillo, PC 1 Chair
20.30 End of the meeting

Sunday, 27 June 2021, 19.00-21.00 - Q & A – QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS MEETING ON THE REVISED VERSION OF THE STATUTES (DRAFT) IN PREPARATION OF XXVII EUROPEAN CONGRESS

19.00 Welcome

  •   Anna Echterhoff, Secretary General of UEF

Introduction

  • Daphné Gogou, Vice-President of UEF Greece, EB-Member

Presentation of the revised version of the statutes (draft)

By the UEF-Working Group on Statutes and Rules of Procedure, represented by

  • Philipp Agathonos, Vice-President of UEF Austria
  • Rainer Wieland, Vice-President of the European Parliament, President of EUD

Moderator: Wolfgang Wettach, EB Member
21.00 End of the meeting

Friday 2nd July 2021, 17.00-20.45 - ON THE 80th ANNIVERSARY OF THE VENTOTENE MANIFESTO TOWARDS A FEDERAL EUROPE 

Venue:  Centre Cultural La Nau - Universitat de València, Carrer de la Universitat, 2, 46003 València, Valencia, Spain

Language: Spanish/English

16:30 Arrival of the participants
17:00 Welcome and opening statements

  • María Vicenta Mestre Escrivá, Principal of the University of Valencia
  • Joan Calabuig Rull, Regional Secretary for the European Union and External Relations of the Government of Valencia
  • Sergi Campillo, Vice-Mayor of Valencia
  • Juan González Barba, Secretary of State for the European Union, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Government of Spain
  • Jürgen Foecking, vice-director European Parliament Liaison Office in Madrid
  • Enrique Barón Crespo, UEF Spain President
  • Francisco Aldecoa, president European Movement Spain and Member of the Conference on the Future of Europe
  • Sandro Gozi, UEF President, Member of the European Parliament and member of the Conference
  • Brando Benifei, Member of the European Parliament and President of the Spinelli Group
17.30 Panel 1: The Federalist strategy in the Conference of the Future of Europe

Moderator: Enrique Barón Crespo, UEF Spain President

  • Domènec Ruiz Devesa, Member of the European Parliament, S&D Group, Vice- President of UEF, member of the Conference
  • Danuta Hübner, member of the European Parliament, EPP Group, Member of the Conference
  • Katalin Cseh, Member of the European Parliament, RENEW Group, member of the Conference - tbc
  • Dimitrios Papadimoulis, Vice-president of the European Parliament, The Left, member of the Conference
  • Fabio Massimo Castaldo, Vice-President of the European Parliament, Non-Attached, member of the Conference

Questions & Answers
19:00 Panel 2: The role of MEPs and national parliamentarians in the Conference on the Future of Europe

Moderator: Enrique Barón Crespo, UEF Spain President

  • Francisco Aldecoa, president European Movement Spain and member of the Conference
  • Héctor Gómez Hernández, member of the Spanish Parliament (PSOE) and member of the Conference
  • Maite Pagazaurtundúa, Member of the European Parliament, RENEW Group
  • Jordi Sebastiá i Talavera, Former Member of the European Parliament, Greens/EFA Group
  • Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero, Member of the European Parliament, S&D Group

Questions & Answers
20:00 Closing remarks

  • Enrique Barón Crespo, UEF Spain President

Saturday 3rd July 2021, 8.30-20.00

Venue: Jardí botànic de València, Carrer de Quart, 80, 46008 València, Spain and online

8:00 Welcoming of participants and registration of delegates
8:30 UEF Federal Committee meeting

  • Election of Tellers
  • Approval of the Agenda
  • Approval of the Minutes of the Federal Committee Meeting on 13 March 2021
  • Report of the Committee of Auditors
  • Approval of accounts 2018, 2019 (both corrected) and 2020
  • Discharge of the outgoing Bureau
  • Adoption of the XXVII European Congress Agenda
  • Election of the Credential Committee
  • Presentation of the Proposal for the Revision of the Statutes and Rules of Procedure to be presented at the Congress
10:00 End of the meeting
10:00 Coffee break
10:30 Opening Session of the UEF XXVII European Congress

  • Opening
  • Election of Tellers
  • Election of the Congress Presidium
  • Approval of the Agenda
  • Approval of the Minutes of the XXVI European Congress

Election of the Resolutions Committee
11:00 Welcome addresses

  • Joan CALABUIG RULL, Regional Secretary for the European Union and External Relations of the Government of Valencia
  • Enrique BARON CRESPO, President of UEF Spain, former President of the European Parliament
  • María Vicenta MESTRE ESCRIVÀ, Principal of the University of Valencia
  • Leonie MARTIN, President of JEF Europe
11:30 Opening Speech and Political report by Sandro GOZI, President of UEF,  and Member of the European Parliament
12.30  75 YEARS UEF: Historical review, great moments and perspectives the future development of the organisation

  • Daphné GOGOU, Vice-President of UEF Greece, EB-Member
  • Sandro GOZI, President of UEF, Member of the European Parliament (Renew Europe)
  • Leonie MARTIN, President of JEF (online)
  • Sergio PISTONE, Professor of European integration at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Torino, MFE (online)
  • Rainier WIELAND, (EPP), Vice-President of the European Parliament, President of EUD (online)

Moderator: Raphaël BEZ, Secretary General of UEF Switzerland, EB-Member
14.00 UEF - Family Picture - Deadline for candidatures of Elected Members of the Federal Committee and Arbitration Board

Lunch break

15:00 Political Debate: Our Federal Europe, Sovereign and Democratic

The Conference on the Future of Europe as historical moment for the federalist cause?

  • Introductory Video-Statement: Dubravka ŠUICA, Vice-President of the European Commission, and Co-Chair of the Executive Board of the Conference on the Future of Europe
  • Guy VERHOFSTADT, (Renew Europe), Member of the European Parliament and Co-Chair of the Executive Board of the Conference on the Future of Europe
  • Sandro GOZI, President of UEF, Member of the European Parliament (Renew Europe), Member of the Conference on the Future of Europe
  • Domènec RUIZ DEVESA, Vice-President of UEF, Member of the European Parliament (S&D) and Member of the Conference on the Future of Europe
  • Luisa TRUMELLINI, Secretary General of MFE and EB-Member

Moderator: Julian PLOTTKA, EUD, Presidium of the Federal Committee
16:30 Activity report by Anna ECHTERHOFF, Secretary General of UEF
17:00 Financial Report  by François MENNERAT, Treasurer of UEF
17:30 Presentation of the Candidate for UEF President:

  • Candidate: Sandro GOZI, President of UEF, Member of the European Parliament (Renew Europe), Member of the Conference on the Future of Europe

Elections

  • Election of the President
  • Election of the Arbitration Board
  • Election of the Members of the Federal Committee

The following decisions and elections by the Congress will take place ONLY when the new Statutes have been adopted:

Decision on the establishment of the number of Vice-Presidents and Members of the Executive Bureau to be elected

  • Election of the Vice Presidents
  • Election of the Secretary General
  • Election of the Treasurer
  • Election of the remaining Members of the Executive Bureau
20.00 Closing Ballot

End of the session
afterwards Meeting of the Resolution Committee

Saturday 3rd July 2021, 21.00

Venue: Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, Av. del Professor López Piñero, 7, 46013 València, Valencia, Spain

21.00 Joint visit to the UEF project co-funded by the European Parliament/Kick-off event -  MAKE EUROPE BLOOM: The time is  now!

Meeting and exchange with the artist Antonyo MAREST and the art curator of the project Francisco PICAZO

Statements by

 

  • Joan CALABUIG RULL, Regional Secretary for the European Union and External Relations of the Government of Valencia
  • Sandro GOZI, President of UEF, Member of the European Parliament
  • Domènec RUIZ DEVESA, Vice-President of UEF, Member of the European Parliament
  • Guy VERHOFSTADT, Member of the European Parliament, Co-Chair of the Executive Board of the Conference on the Future of Europe (tbc)
  • Fabio Massimo CASTALDO, Vice-President of the European Parliament

UEF-family picture

Guided tour of the museum - Participation limited to 20 people!

Sunday 4th July 2021, 09:00-14:30

09:00 Meeting of National Delegations to nominate appointed Members of the Federal Committee

Sending the list of names and email addresses to the Secretariat until 12:00 h
09:30 Arrival of the participants and technical Check-in
10:00 Announcement of the results of the Elections
10:15 Report of the Political Commission 1: Institutions and Future of Europe/Working Group and presentation of and votes on the resolutions

  • Presentation and chair by Giulia Rossolillo - PC 1 Chair
12:00 Closing Speech by the UEF President
12:15 End of the Congress
12:30 Sending of the online access data to the Federal Committee to the FC members who are not present
13.30 Meeting of the new UEF Federal Committee

  • Formalities
  • Election of the Secretary General
  • Election of the Treasurer
  • Election of the Vice Presidents
  • Election of the Executive Bureau
  • Election of the Auditing Committee
  • AOB
  • Announcement of the Results of the Elections
14:30 End of the Federal Committee

Registration and participation conditions - 2021

Participation to the UEF XXVII European Congress is open to delegates of UEF constituent organisations as well as to any observer that would like to attend the meeting.
Registration is compulsory by filling in the registration form.

Registration will be confirmed upon receipt by the UEF Secretariat of the participation contribution of 60,00 EUR (a reduced participation contribution of 30,00 EUR applies to JEF members, participants under 25 years old and job seekers). The participation fee needs to be transferred to the following bank account:

Union of European Federalists

Name of the bank: BNP PARIBAS FORTIS BANK, Rond-point Robert Schuman 10, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
TO: UNION OF EUROPEAN FEDERALISTS UEF
IBAN code: BE69210037609578
BIC: GEBABEBB

Communication: "Congress Valencia 2021: *First Name* *Last Name*"

Submission of candidacies

Submission of candidacies to become members of the UEF Bureau (including Vice-Presidents and Treasurer)

Members who want to run for election as Bureau members (including Vice-President and Treasurer) need to fill in the Bureau Candidacy Submission Form where they will be able to introduce themselves, their motivation to lead the organisation and provide with the requested information and documentation. Please send the form filled, dated and signed to secretariat@federalists.eu by 25 June 2021, 18:00 h.

RESOLUTIONS APPROVED

PROPOSAL OF RESOLUTIONS

Proposal for resolutions

The XXVII European Congress of the UEF will discuss the following proposals for resolutions:

Below, you can find the resolutions with the amendments to be approved during the Political Commission on June 23, 2021 from 18.30 to 20.30:

If you have any additions or amendments concerning the resolutions, please send them to secretariat@federalists.eu using the attached form by 18 June 2021.

OTHER DOCUMENTS

Activity report 2021

ELECTIONS

Congress election results 

Photo gallery
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