Movement Profile
Citizensforeurope.eu is a website developed in the beginning of 2010 in collaboration with the Charles Léopold Mayer Foundation for Human Progress (FPH) in Lausanne and Paris, with Double Punctuation (Paris), the Institut des Hautes Études des Communications Sociales (IHECS) in Brussels and the European Movement International (EMI) in Brussels. It was created around the same time as and chose the same promising name as Citizens For Europe e. V., which publishes Open Citizenship. Although separate entities, the two groups have worked together – and plan to do so in future – towards common goals.
Many European citizens are involved in associations, initiatives and campaigns around ‘Europe’. The goal of citizensforeurope.eu is to introduce these movements and organizations to each other, give them a forum to broadcast their work and make public their aims and create synergies between projects. The site is intended to serve as a hub that lists European citizen actors, events and proposals, helps them find each other, and creates a link between citizens and European politics and the media. The site consists of three content areas:
- A citizen agenda, with events and campaigns published by European citizen organizations searchable by location and topic;
- a directory of citizen organizations that explains their projects and provides contact information and
- a unique space for citizen proposals within the general European interest made by these organizations.
Our vision of EU citizenship: Active citizens
Our idea of a ‘European citizenship’ is based on a humanistic view of society where individuals have personal responsibilities, values of freedom and liberty must be reconciled with solidarity with the group and committed citizens play an important role in a system of representative democracy. Within this framework, the freedoms and tools of citizen participation lead to both rights and responsibilities. So how can a citizen influence politics, especially at the European Union (EU) level? And what are the obstacles?
Participatory tools
The European treaties grant us, European citizens, a variety of citizen rights. With these rights comes the responsibility to create and participate in transnational debates. But what exactly are the participatory tools that allow us to be heard?
European citizenship introduced with the Maastricht Treaty in 1993 provides citizens of EU Member States with additional rights – such as free movement, the right to vote in local and European elections or consular protection – and responsibilities. Citizens are often unfamiliar with these however. Beyond the rights enumerated in Articles 20 to 25 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, many instruments have been introduced to improve information and use of European civil rights such as the online network SOLVIT mechanism – an online problem-solving network in which EU Member States work together without legal proceedings to solve problems caused by the misapplication of Internal Market law by public authorities – or the website Your Europe (ec.europa.eu/youreurope) where citizens or business can find help and advice about life, work and travel in the EU. Citizens can also give their opinion in consultations organized by the European Commission (ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/consultations/index_fr.htm). We should also mention the example of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). The evolution of Group III of the EESC into a real citizen chamber – composed of representatives of civil society and of committed citizens – would represent a concrete step towards the participation and involvement of European citizens in the democratic process. Finally, the European citizens’ initiative set up by the Treaty of Lisbon is a tool of real European citizenship. Its exact profile and use will determine if it could become a participatory instrument for European citizens despite its limitations and the obstacles that lie ahead. Little known but open to all, these elements of participatory democracy imply that if interested actors coordinate themselves, their voices can have an impact.
Pathways for political influence of European citizens
The European Year of Volunteering in 2011 will be an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between civil society organizations in Europe, a key element of European citizenship. According to the Volunteer Portal of Luxembourg, over 100 million Europeans take part in volunteer activities, which puts into practice the principle of solidarity and makes a significant contribution to society. In addition, 22 percent of youth in Europe belong to a civil society organization, which are very active in Brussels. Organized citizens provide evidence of an emerging European citizenship and succeed in getting out their ideas. They take the role of advisers, lobbyists and social partners. Sometimes supported by European funds, they organize the European Citizens Consultations or other citizens’ panels, the États généraux de l’Europe, debates and conferences. Social organizations also publish reports, analysis and position papers and learn how to succeed in the machine called the Union. An obstacle of citizen participation linked to this and coming from the citizens themselves is a lack of coordination between citizens’ organizations. Many groups perform similar activities and so should try to work together rather than duplicating efforts and competing for scarce resources.
These aspects of European citizenship are largely used by the ‘convinced’: those who have made Europe their job or a major priority in their lives. Although participation from such individuals and groups is useful and necessary, it raises an important question of whether and how citizens can be involved in the political process of decision-making.
Personal barriers
In terms of legislative and legal barriers to an active European citizenship, the main question that arises is the apparent fear of politics towards its citizens. This is a question of trust. Also, the history of the single market and the economic approach to integration has created a citizen seen primarily through an economic lens: a consumer, an employee, etc. This notion constrains the notion of citizens, however: purely economic entities are not concerned with concepts such as solidarity and civic responsibilities. Finally, freedom of movement can also cause problems, such as access to full civil rights for a mobile European.
We cannot talk about citizenship and civil rights without mentioning the high and growing abstention rates in European elections, especially among young people. Voting is a responsibility that must be accepted in order to hold our elected officials accountable. That is what makes us European citizens. Only by participating in elections and political debates around can we argue with credibility for the improvement of the electoral system and the expansion of our voting rights.
Finally, it is important to note that the level of citizen participation has changed. Public and common goods have become European and need to be discussed at the European level. The need for both adequate political and legal instruments as well as citizens assuming their active civic responsibility is obvious. Two levels of governance are particularly important and need to be reinforced in this time of return to the nation-states: the local and the European level.
Call to action – you want to get involved?
Here are some ways that you can get involved today:
- make use of the various citizen rights granted by the EU treaties, such as contacting the Ombudsman, move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States and getting involved there or in transnational initiatives, vote or stand as a candidate in municipal and European elections, enjoying diplomatic and consular protection;
- contact the online-network SOLVIT to resolve a single market problem (europa.eu/solvit/);
- participate in consultations organized by the European Commission (europa.eu/youreurope);
- lobby with the European Economic and Social Committee;
- launch or participate in European citizens initiatives;
- write and ask for articles on Europe in your local newspaper;
- create and participate in transnational fora such as round tables, citizens panels, the États généraux de l’Europe;
- and if all that is too far away, bureaucratic and abstract: get involved in citizen organizations! Go to our website to find one in your area.
Make use of your rights! Assume your responsibility!
Tags: Movement Profile