In 2012, a consortium of 11 European foundations initiated by the King Baudouin Foundation and Bertelsmann Stiftung, and supported by the European Policy Centre, decided to launch a project to promote a Europe-wide debate on the future of the European Union (EU): an ambitious participatory initiative whose ultimate goal is to develop realistic reform proposals to shore up an EU hit by multiple storms in recent years which have left many people questioning its capacity to respond effectively to

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... he manifold internal and external challenges Europeans are and will be confronted with. A first report outlining five strategic options for the future of the EU was drafted by a Reflection Group of eminent EU experts from different Member States, enriched by input from an Advisory Group made up of prominent Europeans from the worlds of politics, business, academia and civil society (Phase I). This report was published in November 2013 and served as an input for almost 50 debates which took place in 17 EU Member States targeting different groups: randomly selected citizens, policy-makers, young Europeans, stakeholders and media representatives (Phase II). In all, several thousand people were given the opportunity to discuss the strategic options outlined in the report. The feedback from these events provided the basis for further discussions in the Reflection Group and the Advisory Group. Those discussions led to a second report that you now hold in your hands, which calls for a 'New Pact for Europe' -between EU Member States and between the EU and its citizens -to enhance the Union's capacity to deliver effective solutions to the many challenges facing Europe and to do so in a way that benefits all EU countries and groups within society (Phase III). This second report is designed to feed into the on-going discussions about the Union's future as the new EU leadership team takes charge. It aspires to contribute to the debate on how to introduce ambitious while at the same time workable and realistic reforms to make the EU more effective in responding to the challenges Europeans are facing. The report will be discussed again in a majority of Member States with policy-makers, EU experts, stakeholders and citizens (Phase IV), and the outcome of this process will impact the future progress of the New Pact for Europe initiative. For more details about the project see www.newpactforeurope.eu pavoL deMeš JanIs a. eMManouILIdIs