Belgium
Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
01-01-2024
First part of the year 2024
31-07-2024
On the occasion of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (December 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024), an innovative citizens' panel was set up to reflect on the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in Europe. This initiative, led by the Federal Public Service for Foreign Affairs, is part of a growing participatory dynamic in Belgium. For the first time in the context of a European presidency, sixty randomly selected Belgian citizens were brought together to debate over three weekends at the Egmont Palace in Brussels. Their mission was to develop a collective vision on the societal, ethical, and political issues related to AI, in the context of a rapidly expanding European regulatory framework. The initiative did not aim to produce technical recommendations, but rather to bring forth an ambitious and inclusive citizen vision that could help guide the European AI strategy for the 2024–2029 period.
The main objective of this initiative was to give citizens the opportunity to concretely influence European decisions on artificial intelligence. By mobilizing a representative sample of the population (60 people), the panel aimed to incorporate diverse viewpoints into a debate that is often reserved for experts.
Artificial intelligence, an omnipresent and constantly evolving technology, raises major challenges for fundamental rights, governance, employment, and the environment. By seeking a citizen perspective on this topic, Belgium aimed to demonstrate its commitment to deliberative democracy capable of accompanying technological changes. The panel also aimed to strengthen the democratic legitimacy of the new European AI regulation by ensuring that citizens' concerns are genuinely taken into account.
The composition of the panel was carefully designed to reflect the diversity of the Belgian population. Out of 16,200 invitations sent across the country, over 1,000 people expressed interest in participating. Sixty of them were selected based on sociological and demographic criteria: gender parity, linguistic diversity (60% Dutch-speaking, 40% French-speaking), urban/rural backgrounds, age groups (with particular attention to first-time voters in 2024), varied professions, and maternal origin.
Thus, the panel reflected a microcosm of the country, with citizens from all walks of life. The goal was to ensure maximum representativeness so that the debates would be rich, inclusive, and bring forward perspectives often absent from traditional political discussions.
This citizens' panel on artificial intelligence took place in a European context marked by the adoption of the first comprehensive regulatory framework on AI: the European AI Act, which came into force in August 2024. This pioneering text, based on a graduated risk approach, aims to reconcile technological innovation with the protection of fundamental rights. It is within this perspective that the panel was organized: to provide a citizen counterpoint to new legislation, by bringing reflections on what is desirable or not in the future development of AI.
The participants, supported by experienced facilitators and informed by recognized experts, met three times at the Egmont Palace. Despite often having limited initial knowledge of the topic, they thoroughly explored crucial themes: safety, ethics, employment, environment, technological sovereignty, and democratic impact. The debate was structured yet open, welcoming all opinions, which allowed everyone to contribute actively.
The outcome of these discussions was the formulation of nine key structuring messages. Among them:
The citizen vision that emerged from this panel was welcomed by both Belgian authorities and European institutions. It was officially presented during a closing event on May 25, 2024, in the presence of political leaders, representatives from civil society, and the private sector.
The Belgian Prime Minister, the Minister of the Interior, and representatives of the European Commission expressed their intention to take the panel's conclusions into account in the formulation of future policies. This initiative not only strengthened the link between institutions and citizens, but also proved that citizens are capable of taking ownership of complex issues and producing informed political visions. It marks a significant milestone in the evolution of democratic practices in Europe and paves the way for better integration of citizens' voices in the governance of emerging technologies.
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