Europaudvalget 2021-22
EUU Alm.del Bilag 754
Offentligt
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CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN CITIZENS’ DEMOCRACY
DRAFT BRIEF 17 09 2022
Contents
CREATING A CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN CITIZENS’ DEMOCRACY
................................. 2
The call for citizens to participate in building democracies
................................................... 2
Center for European Citizens’ Democracy (CECD)..............................................................
2
Overall objective:
......................................................................................................... 2
Specific objectives are to:
............................................................................................ 2
Background for the CECD
.................................................................................................. 3
The CECD Scope of Work...............................................................................................
3
The CECD and the Digital future
..................................................................................... 4
The CECD – Policymakers Observatory
.......................................................................... 4
The CECD – Research and Capacity Building
..................................................................... 4
Europe’s People’s Forum a continued network
.................................................................... 5
Organisation.......................................................................................................................
5
Economy
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 EUU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 754: Materiale forud for Europe's People's Forum foretræde den 23/9-22 vedr. initiativet til at etablere Center for European Citizens' Democracy
CREATING A CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN CITIZENS’ DEMOCRACY
The call for citizens to participate in building democracies
The Russian attack on Ukraine, the uncertainty and security challenges in the Western
Balkan and in the new candidate countries, as well as tensions with individual member
states have illustrated how much the geopolitical situation influences democracy and vice
versa how important the state of democracy is in geopolitics. It has become more
complicated and more urgent to secure effective democracy in member states, pre-
accession and Eastern neighbourhood countries.
There is a significant need for long term support to democratic development through
increased engagement of citizens between and during the national and European elections.
Europe's People's Forum (EPF) was established in 2017, at a time when UK had decided to
leave the EU, Donald Trump had just been elected president of the United States, and many
European countries saw a growth in extreme nationalist movements. It was a period when
the EU as a project of peace was severely threatened. Several analyses indicated that the
citizens lost trust in democracy, first due to the consequences of the financial crisis, and then
the economic decline and the globalisation that often led to a perception of being
marginalised in society.
EPF believes that a stronger involvement of also marginalized and apathetic citizens will
build stronger democracies at EU and at national level. The same belief has our 35
professional member organizations and universities specialised in citizen participation and
democracy as well as our more than 50 civil society member organizations.
After serious consultations with the European institutions and actors within democracy and
citizens engagement, the EPF’s General Assembly in June 2022 decided to launch the
Center for European Citizens’ Democracy (CECD).
We work to secure the basis for CECD to support local and national policy makers with civil
society organisations to find the best possible ways to involve citizens in decision and policy
making at all levels of society. And to offer the most innovative measures and methods to
the European institutions.CECD’s expertise is based on EPF’s broad practical and
theoretical membership but will work on an even broader basis through collaboration with
local and international CSOs and institutions focusing on also issues like parliamentarism,
fair elections, rule of law and free media.
Center for European Citizens’ Democracy (CECD)
Overall objective:
•
To strengthen democracy and renew trust and the sense of ownership in the European
Union, its member states, pre-accession and neighbourhood countries through increased
engagement of citizens in all democratic processes at local, national, EU and European
level.
Deepen a commitment of legislative and executive public bodies to engage and listen to
the citizens at local, regional, national and European level, while involving public
authorities, civil society organizations and independent media.
Improve the quality of policymaking, strategic reviews and other aspects of institutional
decision-making by drawing on a fair and diverse public debate and on systematic
mechanisms for a representative engagement of all population groups.
Develop and support innovative state-of-the-art methods for citizen- and community led
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Specific objectives are to:
•
•
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participation as part of the EU’s democratic toolkit and build the capacity of local,
national and European practitioners to implement such processes.
Carry out and make use of existing research within democracy, participatory and
deliberative democracy to successfully help EPF’s member organisations to strengthen
their work.
Background for the CECD
EPF has been active in building strategies for the long-term democratic development by
supporting the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) on
preparing the Parliament’s report and resolution on
Citizens’ dialogues and Citizens’
participation in the EU decision-making (2020/2201(INI)). The CECD is a response to the
European Parliament’s proposal for a permanent mechanism for participatory involvement of
citizens in EU’s decision making.
It also responds to the EC President Ursula Von der Leyen’s ambition to engage citizens
regularly in EU decision and policy making.
In addition, as Vice President Dubravka Suica underlines, the CECD falls well in line with the
citizens’ visions and recommendations from the Panel 2 of the Conference on the Future of
Europe as well as civil society organisations’ ambition to enhance citizens’ participation.
CECD as an independent non-profit organisation will work closely connected with the
European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council of the European Union as
well as with national and local authorities on strengthening and engaging citizens in our
democracies.
The CECD Scope of Work
The Centre for European Citizens’ Democracy will:
1. Be responsible for the design, methodological coordination and preparation of citizens’
participatory processes undertaken on behalf of EU-institutions, national and local
authorities. This happens in a methodology cluster, that is supported by its practitioners
and research institutions. The methodology cluster lends its support to strengthen
existing citizen-led initiatives such as the European Citizens Initiative, submission of
petitions to the EP and complaints to the Ombudsman and innovative new democracy
instruments.
2. Develop designs, measures, ensures quality control, evaluates and promotes the
participatory and deliberative processes that contribute to strengthening citizens’
awareness and influence of EU policymaking between and during election periods. This
happens in close collaboration between its professional practitioners, researchers and its
civil society members CECD.
3. Develop advanced and effective methods to involve citizens in future convention
processes ahead of treaty changes with the aim both to secure citizens’ ownership and
to ensure that citizens in the whole process at European level contribute to the possible
treaties.
4. Function as a Policymakers Observatory assisting European and local levels of political
authorities to be aware of possibilities for citizens participation in different aspects of
decision making or policy making. And to help advise on the best design and
methodology for their needs.
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5. Coordinate with partners and networks working with other aspects of democracy building
like human rights, collaboration between legislative and executive institutions, media
freedoms, digital democracy etc. to adequately address local issues.
6.
Organize events at local, multinational and EU levels with politicians and public
authorities to inspire to new participatory methods that strengthen democracy and renew
trust and ownership in the EU and in local democracies and their policymaking.
7. Serve as the Secretariat for the networks of professional institutions, universities and
experts that are experienced in citizens participatory processes and democracy research
as well of for the permanent mechanism’s network of civil society organisations and of a
network of advocates for citizens participation that with its local partners builds the
knowledge base for all target countries and alert on new options.
8. Liaise with the EC Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy, the
European Parliament, the Council of the EU, member states, EESC, CoR and umbrella
civil society organizations.
The CECD and the Digital future
The multilingual platform and the Interactio system for multilingual deliberative dialogues
used during the Conference on the Future of Europe yielded new insights with regard to
digital participatory processes. It will be a key research and innovation project for CECD to
develop a digital solution that can effectively:
•
•
Reach all European citizens who link up to the Internet, social media, mobile phones and
other devices,
Allow for European residents and expats to prioritize between themes, recommendations
and proposals so the outcome is a close to representative reflection of the population in
socio-economic, demographic and geographic terms,
Provide easily accessible technology that encourage all citizens, including especially
vulnerable citizens with limited literacy capacity to have a voice on EU and national
policies, strategies and solutions,
Ensure that the digital solution may be used for multilingual deliberative dialogues as
well as by students and groups of citizens keen to design and detail European solutions
to be presented to the EU-institutions,
Facilitate other activities aiming to increase citizen participation in Europe
.
•
•
•
The CECD – Policymakers Observatory
An observatory function to assist European and local levels of political authorities to be
aware of and consider possibilities for citizens participation in different aspects of decision
making or policy making. And to help develop the best design and methodology for the
needs, and assist to identify possible project funding,
•
•
•
Builds on flexible regional networks of practitioners, civil society organisations and
political actors across member states and non-member states
Interactions at all levels between CECD, local and national authorities, assemblies and
governments
Mutual support of the political independence of all national practitioners and technical
organisations
The CECD – Research and Capacity Building
The CECD takes part in research projects concerning democracy and further development
of participatory, deliberative and other methods that contribute to a vibrant and modern
democratic Europe.
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•
•
•
Active participation in Horizon research, innovation and practice projects that seek to
stimulate democracy or citizens involvement in the shape and implementation of various
policy areas
Workshops between researchers and practitioners and their institutio ns and
organisations
Networking with other think tanks dealing with relevant EU policies and possible events
on European research with a citizens’ perspective
Ideally, such events will take place in a geographically remote location to focus the
participants’ concentration such as is the case for the World Economic Forum in Davos.
It is the ambition that this event may attract civil society organisations and scholars
whose research on policies and societal development has a citizen perspective.
Europe’s People’s Forum a continued network
EPF aims to strengthen democracy and renew trust and ownership in the European Union
by engaging citizens in discussions and in influencing the policy making so the EU may
better reflect the needs and visions of European citizens. EPF also collaborates with
partners that work with citizens, media and authorities to enhance national and European
democratic processes between the elections
EPF consists of a professional network of interested and qualified national universities,
institutions and civil society organisations in all EU member states. They have technical
experience in the design, implementation, and facilitation of citizens participation in policy
making between European or national elections. Some of them are research institutions with
special expertise in citizen participation. The network currently counts around 35 partners.
EPF also includes a network of civil society organisations and social partners around
Europe. The informal network of CSOs is adaptive to thematic and methodological needs.
This network currently has around 50 partners.
When the CECD has been established and is up and running the CECD will refrain from
being part of the planning and implementation of participatory projects and leave this to the
professional partners in the current EPF network. There shall be no direct link between the
economic interests of the technical partners and the CECD.
Organisation
The CECD could be organised as a non-profit foundation and the following organisational
structures could be considered.
A
Citizen Panel
with randomly chosen citizens from all member states will meet every three
months online to discuss the CECD activities and local, national and European needs for
new participatory processes.
A
Strategic Council
will meet annually to evaluate the CECD’s strategic development and
identify the strategic challenges and opportunities for CECD in the coming year. Council
members are appointed by the European Parliament, the European Commission , the
European Council and the member states as well as the CoR and EESC.
The
Board of Directors
is the highest level of authority. Its members will be appointed by
the General Assembly of EPF as well as by relevant citizens initiatives like European Citizen
Initiative, the Ombudsman, Petitions and other relevant stakeholders. The board hires and
dismisses the Director. It is responsible for the budget, accounts and approval of strategies.
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Economy
The CECD aims to secure an initial five-year funding to cover running costs. Sources of
funding should be as diverse as possible and could include independent foundations,
national public budgets and other sources.
Besides basic running costs the running costs are expected to be related directly to projects
implemented with participation of CECD. This could be modelling and design towards
political authorities at European, national or local levels. Funding from Horizon Europe
Research and Innovation or EU programmes like the Citizen, Equality, Rights and Values
programme and several others that will support establishing innovative open democratic
practices.
Bent Nørby Bonde,
Secretary General, Dr.
Ryvangs Allé 18, 2100 Cph.Ø, Denmark
Tel.+45 30 45 45 00
[email protected]
www.europespeoplesforum.eu
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