Considering that there is a gap between the rights guaranteed by the EU Treaties and their full exercise, European Alternatives and the European Civic Forum have decided, as part of their Citi-Rights project (funded under the 'Rights, Equality and Citizenship' programme), to made a number of proposals to address this challenge. 

Their proposals, detailed in the recently published report entitled "A State of Democracy: Towards Citizen Rights Protection in the EU", consist in:

• Putting citizens’ rights and the common good at the centre of European policies
• European institutions, and particularly the Commission as guardian of the treaties, becoming a driving force in creating a more enabling environment for participation
• Building a clear and structured framework for regular dialogue with civil society
• Putting the respect and the promotion of the fundamental values of the Union and the core European requirements of democracy and the rule of law at the forefront of the Institution’s actions
• Establishing participatory mechanisms and tools to secure rights protection throughout Member States
• Protecting the rights – including the right to participation – of third country nationals

Click here for the full report.