The National Citizens Consultations are the heart of the ECC process. These identical 2-day events will be held simultaneously in nine countries over three weekends in March 2009, with 30 to 130 randomly selected citizens participating in each one. Citizens will be informed on the issues to be discussed by fact sheets and will have been able to engage in the national online debate in the run-up to the event.

Professional facilitators will lead participants through a deliberation and dialogue process which ensures that all voices are heard. The top ideas and concerns arising from the national online debate and from the eight other countries holding National Citizens Consultations on the same weekend will be the starting point for the national debates. During the two-day deliberations, citizens will work to draw up a list of 10 national recommendations for policy-makers. Although they will draw up recommendations nationally, their focus and target audience will be the European level and institutions.

The weekend?s events will be interlinked in order to ensure an exchange of opinions and views between citizens from different countries. Experts will be invited to all events to share their views with citizens and provide them with information.

EU and national policy-makers, especially MEPs and candidate MEPs, will be involved in the process and presented with the outcomes of the National Consultations. A panel debate with representatives of the country?s main political parties and citizens on their recommendations will close the event.

Live reporting and blogging from the National Citizens? Consultations will ensure that the wider public, while unable to attend the event, are kept informed about the discussions between participating citizens in their country and elsewhere.

Click here to view pictures of previous National Citizens' Consultations