XXVIII UEF European Congress

The Congress is the most important event in the life of the organization and it will be the occasion to debate future of Europe and further support and disseminate the important initiatives of the European Parliament regarding the reform of the Lisbon Treaty and the europeanising of the elections to the EP.

Program

Saturday, 25 November 2023

10.15: Opening of the Congress

• Election of the Presidium
• Formalities:
  • Election of the Tellers
  • Election of the Credential Committee
  • Election of the Resolution Committee
  • Approval of the Agenda
  • Approval of the Minutes of the last Congress in Valencia (3-4 July 2021)

10.30 | Welcome addresses

• Hans-Gert Pöttering, Former President of the European Parliament (2007-2009), President of the House of European History (video)
• Rainer Wieland, Vice-President of the European Parliament, President of Europa-Union Deutschland EUD
• Petros Fassoulas, Secretary General of the European Movement International EMI tbc
• Christelle Savall, President of Young European Federalists JEF
• Prof. Fernando Iglesias, President of the World of Federalist Movement WFM (online)

Key note address: Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission and former President of the European Parliament (2004-2007)

11:10 | Opening speech and Political report by Domènec Ruiz Devesa, UEF President

Q&A and Political Debate

Special address by the Representative of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU: Raúl Santiago Fuentes, Ambassador Deputy Permanent Representative of Spain to the European Union

Interventions of:

• Brando Benifei, MEP
• Rainer Wieland, Vice-President of the European Parliament, President of EUD
• Alin Mituta, MEP
• Petros Fassoulas, Secretary General of the European Movement International EMI tbc
• Cyrus Engerer, MEP
• Marcos Ros, MEP
• Mercedes Bresso, MEP
• Sandor Ronai, MEP

Special address by: Enrique Barón Crespo, Former President of the European Parliament (1989-1992), President of UEF Spain

12.10 | Activity report | Deadline of submission of candidacy for UEF Executive Bureau and UEF Federal Committee members directly electet

12.25 | Financial Report by Roland Hühn, Treasurer of UEF

• Q&A
• Report by the Auditors
• Discharge of the outgoing Executive Bureau

13.00 | Lunch break

14.00 | Political Debate in view of the launch of a Convention for Treaty reform and the European elections

Introduction

• Sandro Gozi, MEP, Chair of the Spinelli Group

Video messages from:

• Guy Verhofstadt, MEP, Renew Europe
• Sven Simon, MEP, European People's Party
• Gabriele Bischoff, MEP, Socialists and Democrats
• Daniel Freund, MEP, Greens/European Free Alliance
• Helmut Scholz, MEP, The Left

Intervention of

• Pietro Bartolo, MEP
• Thijs Reuten MEP

15.00 – Presentation of the study "Mapping the cost of non-Europe (2022-2032)" by Meena Fernandes, Policy analyst of the European Parliament Research Service

15.30 | Workshop to present UEF Position in view of the European Elections 2024 and discuss strategy and campaign

16.30  Presentation of the candidates to the different positions and elections

17.00 | Closing Ballots

• Afterward: transfer to the secretariat in Square de Meeùs for the counting of the votes and for the meeting of the Resolution Committee

17:50 | End of the session

Sunday, 26 November 2023

Institut Européen de la Culture Arabe, Rue de l’Alliance 2, Brussels

8.45 | Arrival of Participants

9.00 | Opening of the third session of the Congress

• Announcement of the results of the elections

9.45 | Meeting of National delegations to nominate appointed members of the Federal Committee

10.15 | Vote on the political documents

11.00 |Decision related to the transfer of UEF headquarter from Netherland to Belgium

• a) Proposal for a decision to transfer the Association's headquarters from the Netherlands to Belgium, Région de Bruxelles capitale, Square de Meeûs, 25;
• b) Proposal to draw up Statutes in accordance with Belgian law, respecting the operating procedures of the existing Statutes and to adopt the form of an "Association Internationale Sans But Lucratif (AISBL)" to be called "UEF";
• c) Proposal to accept the draft Statutes;
• d) Proposal that the Congress appoints Mrs Giulia ROSSOLILLO as sole representative to express before the Notary Bernard DEWITTE the will of the Congress to take the formal decision to change the headquarters, to adopt the new Statutes and to appoint the new administrators (EB members);
• e) Proposal that the Congress appoints Mrs Giulia ROSSOLILLO as sole representative to sign the deed in accordance with the foregoing resolutions, to request the aforementioned Notary DEWITTE to seek the approval of the Belgian Ministry of Justice for the AISBL's Statutes and to proceed with the publication of these Statutes in the Moniteur Belge".

11.30 | Honorary Presidency awarded to Sandro Gozi

11.45 | Closing remarks by the UEF President

12.00 | End of the Congress

12.15 – 13.00 | Meeting of the new Executive Bureau