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Civil Society Empowering European Citizens Challenges and the Road Ahead University of Washington Jackson School of International Studies • Task Force 2013 Cover Photographs: Background image retrieved from www.ppcd.gov.mt/other_funding_programmes Left-side image retrieved from www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1030762/Polish-president-throws-EU- new-crisis-declares-The-Lisbon-treaty-pointless.html Right-side image retrieved from www.euronews.com/2012/11/02/do-you-feel-like-a-european-citizen All trademarks mentioned in this report remain the property of their owners. Their inclusion in this report should in no way be taken as an endorsement of this report or its conclusions by the trademark owners. Printed at the University of Washington in Seattle The Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies University of Washington, Seattle Task Force Report 2013 Empowering European Citizens Challenges and the Road Ahead Faculty Advisors Professor Sabine Lang EU Fellow Tony Lockett Evaluator Conny Reuter, EU Social Platform Task Force Editors/Coordinators Josh Lee Delaney Merrick Alex Walker Task Force Authors Kaitlyn Bauer Michelle Carrizosa Peralta Paige Edmiston Kate Faoro Pema Gyatso Sarah Kantonen Annie Kean Janina Klein Stephanie Loh Peony Lui Lea McKee Matt Smith Dana Talant Stephanie Wright The Task Force would like to thank Sabine Lang and Tony Lockett for making this report possible. The Task Force would also like to thank Conny Reuter for taking the time to read and evaluate our work Acronyms Association of Commercial Television Europe European Community Action Scheme for the (ACT) Mobility of University Students (ERASMUS) Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement European Transparency Initiative (ETI) (ACTA) European Union (EU) Association of European Border Regions Higher Education Institutions (HEI) (AEBR) Information and Communications Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Technologies (ICTs) Ethics Regulation (ALTER-EU) I Am Europe (iEU) Association Relative à la Télévision Member of European Parliament (MEP) Européenne (ARTE) Non-governmental Organization (NGO) Association for the Taxation of financial Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) Transactions and Aid to Citizens (ATTAC) Qualified Majority Voting (QMV) Audiovisual Media Services (AVMS) Social Movement Organization (SMO) Central Eastern Europe (CEE) Television Without Frontiers Directive Content and Language Integrated Learning (TWFD) (CLIL) World Trade Organization (WTO) Consultation, the European Commission and Civil Society (CONECCS) Committee of Regions (CoR) Civil Society Contact Group (CSCG) Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) Directorate-General (DG) Declaration of Financial Interest (for Parliament) (DoFI) Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency of the European Commission (EACEA) European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) European Central Bank (ECB) European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) Europe for Citizens Program (ECP) European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) European External Action Service (EEAS) European Economic Interest Group (EEIG) European Economic and Social Community (EESC) European Higher Education Area (EHEA) European Monetary Union (EMU) European Parliament (EP) European Policy and Information Center (EPIC) European People’s Party (EPP) iv Executive Summary By Alexandria Walker The European Union makes frequent international headlines: the Eurozone crisis, environmental progress, and accession negotiations with Turkey are just some recent topics. However, what rarely makes headline news is the lack of democratic participation of citizens in the process of Europeanization. Low voter turnout in elections to the European Parliament (EP), the recent rejections of the Constitution by France and the Netherlands as well as the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty by Ireland are all indicators of a deeper problem. We call it the democratic deficit of the EU. By focusing on four major sections important to European integration, we suggest changes that will strengthen democracy and increase citizen participation within the European Union. The four main areas that our report focuses on are: The Institutions: The institutions, specifically the European Commission, European Council, and European Parliament, are the formal face of the European Union. Citizens know that these institutions exist yet perceive them as lacking legitimacy and accountability. Opening these institutions up by making small procedural changes will help citizens become involved and help the institutions better represent citizen interests. Civil Society: Civil Society serves as the arena for European citizens to voice their opinions and concerns. It is composed of numerous civil society organizations (CSO), lobbying and interest groups. CSO form alliances under the roof of the Civil Society Contact Group. The recent initiative to create a Transparency Register is intended to make consultation and lobbying processes more transparent and hold CSOs and interest groups accountable to their constituencies. Strengthening civil society in order to empower European citizens is a core recommendation of this report. Identity: The EU is composed of 27 culturally, economically, and politically different member states. This has resulted in a general lack of cohesiveness across the European Union. While we do not want to take away from the cultural diversity of each individual member state or region, the lack of cohesiveness has fostered increasingly nationalistic attitudes and has also contributed to discrimination within member states. Implementing measures to increase cultural and regional awareness will help foster a sense of European community. Public Sphere: The public sphere provides venues and strategies through which European publics can learn about and influence European level politics. Through social movements, the media, and EU initiatives created to bring citizens closer to the institutions, citizens can participate and learn how to get their voice heard at the European level. However, social movements and the media are generally focused on the national level and European initiatives can be obscure and not known to citizens. This report makes recommendations on how to strengthen public engagement by utilizing new social and traditional mass media. v By focusing on these four different spheres, we offer a set of policy recommendations that help address the democratic deficit in the European Union. Our general recommendations are as follows: We aim to strengthen the legitimacy of institutions by making changes at the procedural level to improve accountability. We aim to create solidarity and cohesion within the European Union by focusing on the civil society sector; specifically by increasing funding to CSG’s, reforming codes of conduct to reduce conflicts of interest, and by utilizing the Transparency Register in order to increase fiscal transparency. We aim to create solidarity and cohesion within the European Union by focusing on ways to strengthen citizens’ identity as Europeans; specifically by creating cultural awareness through education and improving cross-border cooperation and integration. We aim to provide means and venues for citizens to participate in the public sphere by increasing funding for social movement organizations and promoting transnational perspectives in the national media. vi Contents Acronyms iv Executive Summary v Introduction 10 Section I: Institutional Mechanisms 14 Legitimizing Institutions 15 The European Commission: Balancing Efficiency and Democracy 17 Issue 17 Background 17 Options 26 Recommendations 29 Strengthening the Link: The European Parliament and EU Citizens 32 Issue 32 Background 33 Options 37 Recommendations 40 The European Council and the Council of Ministers: Decision-Making and Improving Accountability 42 Issue 42 Background 42 Options 47 Recommendations 52 Section II: Creating Solidarity and Cohesion 55 Civil Society 56 Connecting with Civil Society Through Institutions: The Transparency Register and the European Ombudsman 58 Issue 58 Background 60 Options 66 Recommendations 70 Bridging the Democratic Deficit: The Role of Lobbying and Interest Groups 73 Issue 73 Background 74 Options 83 Recommendations 87 Closing the Gap Between Non-Government Organizations and the European Citizen 91 Issue 91 Background 92 vii Options 99 Recommendations 104 Partnership with the People: A Review of the CSCG Towards Administering Influential Participation in EU Policy 107 Issue 107 Background 108 Options 115 Recommendations 121 Identity 124 “United in Diversity”: European Identity and Community Building 126 Issue 126 Background 127 Options 135 Recommendations 140 Fostering EU Diversity Through Regionalism and Nationalism 143 Issue 143 Background 144 Options 151 Recommendations 156 The Threat of Ethnic and Religious Discrimination to Full European Unity 159 Issue 159 Background 160 Options 168 Recommendations 172 Case Study: The Erasmus Program 177 Issue 177 Background 178 Options 185 Recommendations 190 Section III: Providing Means and Venues for the Public Voice 193 Public Sphere 194 Improving Use of European Media 196 Issue 196 Background 197 Options 202 Recommendations 206 Bridging the Gap Between Citizens and the EU: An Evaluation of Citizen Participation at the EU Level 209 Issue 209 viii Background 210 Options 216 Recommendations 221 Misconnections: Social Movements and EU Engagement 225 Issue 225 Background
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