The European Union and its Member States face the challenge of regional separatist movements, some of which use the language and instruments of 'nationalism'. The reasons for and background of these movements are complex and rather diverse between different countries, but they have in common that the economic and political crisis in the EU is fuelling the debates.At a moment when the EU also needs to re-balance its relations with the Member States, the regional-separatist dynamic creates an additional need for democratic EU level decision making: while to some regional separatists, the EU is part of the problem and of the reason why they seek 'self-determination', to others the very existence of the EU provides a safe context in which their struggle for 'independence' becomes possible.This means that the EU and its institutions cannot avoid being dragged into the ongoing debates in the different Member States. In an integrated European Union, these matters are no longer 'internal' affairs of individual member states. Moreover, a number of EU policies and issues, from regional policy to Macro-regions, from institutional representation to freedom of movement, is likely to be affected by regional separatist demands.It is also clear that this issue cannot be addressed merely from a legal or constitutional point of view, but that the following questions require democratically legitimated, political decisions:Is the European Union currently in a position to integrate different kinds of power-sharing, devolved, de-centralised, or federalised lower levels of governance? How would it be able to provide a stable environment for future decision-making? Which elements of the European Union need to be strengthened to make sure that solutions are not imposed from above, but could be negotiated bottom-up? How can this crucial problem be addressed with a view to achieve a 'Europe with the regions', rather than a 'Europe of regional nations'?These are some of the questions which will be at the core of the initiative of the PES Group in the Committee of the Regions through an open debate seeking to explore different scenarios for a future balance between the EU, its Member States and its regions.Patrizia Toia, MEP, Bruno Tobback, Leader of the Flemish social-democratic party (Sp.a), former PES Group members Anna Terron I Cusi from Catalonia and Irene Oldfather from Scotland, the freelance journalist Bruno Kaufmann, Yves Bertoncini, Director of the European think-tank Notre Europe, Paul Nemitz, Director for Fundamental Rights and Union Citizenship of the European Commission, Graham Meadows, former Director General for regional policy, and PES Group President Karl-Heinz Lambertz will be among the panellists.The debates will be moderated by Eddy Caekelberghs (RTBF) and Jean-Pierre Stroobants (Le Monde).