[Brussels, March 2014] Re: Debate on the future of Europe
Dear President,
On 27th March you organise an event in Brussels in the frame of the European Year of Citizens gathering three citizens from each Member State to dialogue in “live” with members of the European Commission, as a prolongation of the “citizens’ dialogues” which got together about 20 000 people to talk with European Commissioners since the end of 2012.
As civil society organisations from 62 European networks grouping more than 4 000 associations, we[1] gather millions of citizens and have been engaged and active during the whole European Year of Citizens. Our commitment resulted in the EYCA recommendations for a democratic European citizenship, which is an essential issue today if we are to restore the legitimacy of the European project.
In December 2013, we handed our 80 recommendations over to Commissioner Reding. She told us on that occasion that she will take good account of these recommendations, just as her pairs in the Commission, and give us a feed-back soon.
Since then, nothing. Despite our requests, Mrs Reding refused to meet with representatives of our Alliance to work together on these recommendations.
Instead, the Commission has privileged a dialogue with “THE” citizen.
We certainly do not consider the citizen’s voice void of importance and we know that citizens’ aspirations are at the heart of the questions the institutions need to face every day.
But bypassing, neglecting, despising and even denigrating the civil society organisations built by those very citizens, is at best irresponsible; at worst, cynical.
The European project needs, at its core, an organised civil society that daily helps articulate individual aspirations with a collective capacity to eradicate social exclusion. The leaders of our institutions cannot ignore that this would create the environment for a better “living-together”.
On what basis were the civil society actors invited to this meeting?
Why the Alliance which received support by the Commission was not associated to this event?
Despite not being invited to this event, we remain available to present our recommendations to you, as we are determined to ensure constant dialogue between institutions and citizens.
We are looking forward to receive your feed-back on how will these recommendations be taken into account by the present and the future European Commission initiatives.
[1] The European Year of citizens’ Alliance (EYCA) brings together 62 European networks and platforms, themselves representing more than 4000 organisations in 50 countries and working in various fields, such as education, culture, health or youth to name a few. EYCA is active in EU Member States, thanks to 22 national Alliances and contact points in 6 other ones.
