Civil Society and Citizens’ Participation

Both citizens and civil society need a clear role in decision-making in the European Union and at all stages of policy-making. The EEB works through different channels to strengthen participatory democracy and citizens participation, and to secure civil society space and meaningful involvement. As a member of Civil Society Europe, the EEB is part of a wider campaign to establish civic dialogue with European Institutions and national governments, to secure sufficient funding for CSOs and an enabling legal and political environment. As a member of European Movement International (EMI), the EEB is part of those pro-European organisations working to strengthen European democracy. 

The transition to carbon neutrality, biodiversity restoration and zero pollution requires innovative forms of participatory democracy. The European institutions need to step up citizens deliberation and meaningful dialogue mechanisms. Through the three-year Horizon 2020 project REAL DEAL, which the EEB is rolling out with IASS and a consortium of leading researchers and civil society networks, the EEB is working on recommendations to reinvent citizens’ participation at the European level and building on its experience as one of the civil society representatives in the Conference on the Future of Europe, the largest citizens deliberation experiment in the EU to date. In representation of the Green 10, the EEB elaborated detailed input to the conference through the Civil Society Convention for the Future of Europe. 

 

Library for Civil Society and Citizens’ Participation