ANNUAL REPORT GREEN EUROPEAN FOUNDATION (GEF) Asbl CONTENTS
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ANNUAL REPORT GREEN EUROPEAN FOUNDATION (GEF) asbl CONTENTS 3 INTRODUCTION 4 - 7 CORE AREAS OF WORK Study and debate Education and training Networking Green Europe 7 PEOPLE OF GEF 2012 8 - 9 GEF WORK ACROSS EUROPE IN 5 YEARS 10 - 14 GEF PROJECT DETAILS Study and debate Education and training Networking Green Europe 14 - 15 STRUCTURES AND FINANCES OF GEF ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION Project coordination: Andrew Murphy Production: www.thepixelpod.com This publication has been realised with the financial support of the European Parliament. The European Parliament is not responsible for the content of this project. This publication can be ordered at: The Green European Foundation – Brussels Office: 15 Rue d’Arlon – B-1050 Brussels – Belgium Tel: +32 2 234 65 70 I Fax: +32 2 234 65 79 E-mail: [email protected] I Web: www.gef.eu Green European Foundation asbl 1 Rue du Fort Elisabeth – 1463 Luxembourg 3 INTRODUCTION 2012 may well be looked back on as the year when of GEF’s Green European Journal, which is fast a European political demos began to emerge. becoming an essential part of online debate for Elections in France, Greece and the Netherlands the Green movement. took on a ‘European’ dimension, with the results This past year also saw a record number of GEF impacting the direction of EU policy. Local and events. In total, GEF organised 47 events in 17 regional elections in Catalonia and Belgium were countries, on topics as diverse as LGBT rights, seen as signs of growing regionalist sentiment the Green New Deal and the rise of the populist- across the continent, posing a challenge to the right. GEF also extended its range of publications cohesion of Member States. and expanded its social media presence. Developments at national and regional level The European Parliament elections in June 2014 were complemented by on-going developments are now within sight. They will offer an opportunity at European level. The European Parliament for European citizens to cast their judgment on flexed its post-Lisbon Treaty muscles by rejecting the decisions made by their leaders, and perhaps the unpopular ACTA treaty, and prepared to opt for a more positive vision for Europe. GEF will play a role for the first time as co-legislator on continue to work across Europe over the next 18 agricultural policy, fisheries policy and the EU months to ensure Europe’s citizens have the budget. Meanwhile the coming into force of the ability, ideas and motivation to truly engage with European Citizens’ Initiative offered a chance for the European project at a time of such crucial European Citizens to work across borders on importance to its future. issues as diverse as road safety, water quality and animal rights. Of course, the on-going backdrop to this was the Eurozone crisis. European leaders were willing to act only when the very future of the Euro, and the EU itself, appeared at risk. Though the crisis receded towards the end of the year, no one finished 2012 with greater confidence in the leadership provided by EU governments. For GEF, the challenge was to remain relevant in the midst of this rapidly changing environment. Heidi Hautala, Pierre Jonckheer, This meant keeping a focus on the long term, GEF Co-President GEF Co-President but also tailoring our work to fit developments as they occurred. An example of this was our ‘Future of Europe’ project, with our series of discussions becoming forums to debate the latest developments at EU level. 2012 was the first year since GEF’s establishment when its funding from the European Parliament did not substantially increase. This offered a chance for GEF to consolidate, but it did not see GEF tame its ambitions. 2012 saw the launch CORE AREAS OF WORK Meeting of the network of correspondents for the Green European Journal December 2012 Study and debate read about in the presentation of GEF’s 2012 projects. A crucial feature of both of these projects Five years after GEF was established, promoting was that GEF worked closely with our national critical debate and reflection on Europe remains member foundations across Europe. Debate on at the core of the foundation’s activities. The the future of Europe, or indeed any issue of need to create a European level public space, European concern, has often been accused of where European citizens can exchange ideas taking place within a ‘Brussels Bubble’, and so and experiences, was exposed as ever more by working with partner organisation rooted crucial in 2012. The primary example of this was within national contexts, we ensured our work the on-going Eurozone crisis, which reached connected with the debates as they existed in its peak over the summer months. Terms such Member States. as solidarity, federalism and fiscal union meant different things to different Europeans, with The debate over the future of Europe was, of national contexts and differing histories providing course, not the only issue to be the subject for a range of interpretation and meaning. study and debate in 2012. GEF continued its focus on a range of topics such as the rise of the For GEF, its ambition to contribute to dialogue populist-right, the Green New Deal and expanded at European level was heavily influenced by this its work into new areas such as the concept of highly crucial debate about the future of Europe. the commons and LGBTQ rights. All of these Using a range of mediums, including websites, topics and more, many of which were addressed events and publications, GEF sought to increase through the Green European Journal, were fertile the exchange of ideas between national contexts grounds for debate. and to help the European Green movement develop its response to this existential threat to In 2013, we look forward to continuing to work with the Union. our national and European partner organisations to expand the number of topics that we cover in Key among these efforts was the ‘Future of our work, and hope that the projects detailed Europe’ seminar series and the launch of the further on in this report inspire you to become Green European Journal, more of which you can closely engaged with GEF’s work. GREEN EUROPEAN FOUNDATION / ANNUAL REPORT 2012 5 point of view of Ireland, which had gone from GEF’s 2012 FOR ME... boom to bust in the financial crisis, but also Nuala Ahern, Chair of the from that of Great Britain, the most eurosceptic Green Foundation Ireland state in the EU. Speakers from Ireland, the UK and Germany were able to bring together these “Future of Europe” differing perspectives, adding real value to the seminar; Dublin, discussion. November 2012 The seminar agreed that the public space in Europe is fractured and divisive as a result of the The seminar was a great event in addressing the crisis and that it is crucial that this changes. No crisis from a Green perspective. But because progress on the democratic level can happen the conclusions were so clear and compelling it without a public space. The Green European is important for the European-wide debate also. Journal and GEF exist to create a Green public It also addressed the issue not only from the space in Europe – much needed! Education and Training The primary purpose for providing education and training opportunities is to give European citizens the necessary tools to engage with the European process. As the European Union becomes increasingly relevant to its citizens’ daily life, and as the European Parliament becomes an ever more influential body, such skills are needed more than ever. A secondary benefit from education and training projects is that they are excellent forums to bring Participants in our EU training seminar June 2012 together Green actors from across Europe. They are opportunities to share experiences, discuss the different national contexts that exist and find common ground for a range of issues. Through The training seminars included the continuation such information sharing, we aim to underpin of GEF’s ‘EU Toolkit for the Green activist’, which a more coherent Green movement that has the provided Green activists with an intensive three- skills and the knowledge to engage with the day course on how the EU operates and how they European project. can influence it. An equally popular seminar held In 2012, GEF’s most exciting opportunities in February focused on the Eurozone crisis and for education and training were its range of the potential Green solutions to it. transnational seminars and its cooperation in a number of summer universities across Europe. CORE AREAS OF WORK In 2012 GEF cooperated in a number of summer universities across Europe, which were excellent opportunities for people interested in political ecology to meet and discuss issues as varied as climate change, democracy and the green economy. For 2013, GEF has an even more ambitious agenda for education and training. As well as continuing the cooperation with summer universities, GEF Participants at our EU training seminar held in Brussels June 2012 will also be organising training seminars on social rights, energy policy and how the EU operates. Networking Green Europe GEF’s 2012 FOR ME... Providing networking opportunities continues Verónica Juzgado, participant to be a core part of GEF’s work, and now takes at the Green Summer place through a variety of means such as online, University, Vitoria, Spain through conferences and by organising exchanges Green Summer between Greens. After five years of operation, University; Vitoria, GEF’s capacity to do this has grown at steady Spain, August 2012. rate. GEF has by now worked with hundreds of speakers and experts, and its number of European At the Green University we talked about Spain, and national partner organisations continues to but not only.