"Europe for Citizens Programme Newsletter" Newsletter Issues

Newsletter Editorial (25/10/2017)

The importance of stakeholders in the Europe for Citizens programme.

Honouring Holocaust Survivors and Rescuers (30/01/2018)

On the occasion of this year’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, three survivors shared their memories at an event organised at the Commission on 24 January 2018. Their stories are among those featured in an exhibition dedicated to survivors and rescuers from nine countries.

Launch of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 (15/12/2017)

The European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 has been officially launched by Commissioner Navracsics at the European Culture Forum in Milan on 7 December 2017.

"Move, Link, Engage - Rethinking Europe and Western Balkans" - Flashlight on a Regional Conference in Belgrade (03/11/2017)

The Belgrade Open School organised on 18 and 19 September 2017 a conference promoting and encouraging regional approach and cooperation between citizens and civil society organisations.

Europe for the Future! - the 10th Anniversary of the EfCP in Croatia along with an ECP Meeting in Zagreb (31/10/2017)

For the 10th anniversary of the Europe for Citizens programme in Croatia, the Croatian Government Office for Civil Society Support hosting the Croatian Contact Point for Europe for Citizens organised a high-level conference gathering Croatian civil society, Europe for Citizens contact points, members of the Commission representation office in Zagreb, DG HOME and EACEA members and representatives of the Croatian government.

The European Economic and Social Committee and the Financing of Civil Society (25/10/2017)

In an own-initiative opinion on the financing of civil society, the European Econonic and Social Committee rapporteur Jean-Marc Roirant, from France, presented a set of recommendations aiming to confirm and improve the role of civil society organisations and to increase their financing by the European Union.

The EU Supports Civil Society Organisations as Governance and Development Actors (27/10/2017)

An update from our colleagues from DG DEVCO, Loïc Lallemand-Zeller and Elvis Humic, on the European Union action on civil society organisations in its development and cooperation activities.

Towards a Reform of the European Citizenship Initiative (26/10/2017)

The European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) is a tool for participation and agenda-setting at EU level, empowering one million citizens to invite the European Commission to propose a new legislation. The ECI is based on the provisions of the article 11.4 of the Treaty on European Union and Article 24 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The procedures and conditions for the ECI are laid down in Regulation (EU) 211/2011 of 16 February 2011 on the citizens' initiative, which is in application since 1 April 2012 (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:02011R0211-20150728&from=EN)

Back to the 28 June 2017 Civil Dialogue Meeting (25/10/2017)

The Europe for Citizens Civil Dialogue meeting took place in Brussels on 28 June 2017. It was chaired by Ms. Marta Cygan, Director of Strategic and General Affairs at DG HOME, European Commission. This meeting, foreseen in the regulation establishing the Europe for Citizens programme, is organised on at least an annual basis. The Civil Dialogue meetings gather the key stakeholders involved in the Europe for Citizens programme, along with the European Commission and the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).

Commission registers two new European Citizens' Initiatives (23/09/2016)

The Commission has registered two new European Citizens' Initiatives in September 2016: "Let'sFly2Europe" and "People4Soil". The registration of the initiatives starts the one-year period for the collection of signatures in support of the initiatives.

Discussing with citizens how Europe can stimulate jobs, growth and investment (23/09/2016)

Vice-President Jyrki Katainen was joined in Bucharest by the Romanian Prime Minister, Dacian Cioloş, for the launch of a series of Citizens' Dialogues on the Investment Plan for Europe. Discussing with more than 250 citizens in the Filipescu Cesianu House, Vice-President Katainen said that investment "is a synonym of job and growth creation", while PM Cioloş stressed the importance of investment in health and education, "without which we cannot have sustainable growth".

Mobilising education to promote EU common values and inclusion (23/09/2016)

Adopted by the Informal Meeting of EU Education Ministers in Paris on 17 March 2015 as a reaction to the terror attacks in Paris and Copenhagen in 2015, the Paris Declaration aims at mobilising education to promote EU common values and inclusion, as a way to prevent violent radicalisation. It also invites Member States to pursue a series of national and local level objectives and identifies overarching priorities for EU-level cooperation. As you will learn in this contribution, the Commission and Member States have made significant steps in the implementation of this Declaration.

Consultation on the "Single Digital Gateway" until 21 November 2016 (23/09/2016)

The Commission is currently conducting a survey about creating a ‘Single Digital Gateway’ for European citizens and businesses. Have your say !

Spotlight on a Slovak project (23/09/2016)

On the occasion of the Slovak presidency of the Council of the EU (July-December 2016), we have asked our Contact Point in Slovakia to showcase a project selected under the "Europe for Citizens" programme. They chose a Remembrance project entitled "We and our history !", where young Roma are invited to speak about Romani Holocaust at Slovak Grammar Schools.

Informal Meeting of Contact Points in Bratislava on 9-11 November 2016 (09/11/2016)

The Slovak Contact Point will receive the 'Europe for Citizens" Contact Points (ECP) from 9 to 11 November 2016 in Bratislava. This informal meeting will be followed by the international conference 'Central European Forum' from 11 to 13 November 2016.

The 2016 edition of the "Central European Forum" (11/11/2016)

The Project Forum invites you to this year’s Central European Forum in Bratislava, Slovakia. The debates will be held from 11 to 13 November in the historical building ASTORKA Theatre.

A look back on our conference "European Citizenship in Challenging Times" (31/05/2016)

Barcelona hosted more than 200 people for the annual conference of the "Europe for Citizens" programme. The meeting was held on 31 May and 1 June 2016 and engaged participants from 30 European countries representing some 180 organizations, networks and projects on memory, citizenship, and civil society who make up the two strands of the Europe for Citizens programme, remembrance and civic participation. Organized by the European Commission in cooperation with the European Observatory on Memories of the University of Barcelona’s Solidarity Foundation (EUROM) and with support from the Barcelona City Council, it aimed to bring together stakeholders from both strands of the Programme and a wider audience to reflect on a positive and cohesive message the European Union could send to its citizens in such challenging times.

Flashback on the Civil Dialogue meeting held on 1 June 2016 (01/06/2016)

The "Civil Dialogue" meeting took place on 1 June 2016 in Barcelona in the premises of the University of Barcelona, as part of the Conference "European Citizenship in Challenging Times" that started one day earlier (see our report in this issue). It was the first meeting to occur in 2016, and the second to be officially held under the auspices of DG HOME (the last "Civil Dialogue" was held in Brussels on 15 June 2015).

Sixth Edition of the European Remembrance Networking Meeting (01/06/2016)

The sixth networking meeting of organizations active in the field of memory, citizenship and remembrance took place on the second day of the conference at El Born Centre of Culture and Memories. The panels of debate and workshops allowed the leaders of the main projects on memories in Europe to share their most successful practices.

Workshop on inclusion of EU mobile citizens (12/10/2016)

In the framework of the European Week of Regions and Cities ("OPEN DAYS") that will take place in Brussels from 10 to 13 October 2016, the European Commission, DG Justice and Consumers, is notably organising on 12 October 2016 a workshop on "Practical ways for local communities to foster inclusion of EU mobile citizens".

Parliamentary hearing on EU Citizenship in practice (15/03/2016)

On 15 March 2016, a hearing organised jointly by the European Commission and the European Parliament focused on concrete avenues to advance EU citizenship.

Promoting Citizenship through Education (01/03/2016)

One year after the adoption of the Paris Declaration on promoting citizenship and the common values of freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination through education, the Commission continues to support its objectives for inclusive education.

Our new dissemination platform is now available (14/03/2016)

Applicants and project promoters willing to find information about funded projects and best practices under the 'Europe for Citizens' programme can access a dedicated database.

The Citizens' Dialogues explained (14/03/2016)

Citizens' Dialogues, in the style of town-hall meetings, are taking place across the European Union. During these debates, you can have your say about what is happening in the EU, and talk directly to European Commissioners. Joachim Ott, whose team is in charge of organising these dialogues all over Europe on behalf of the European Commission, answers our questions.

Shining a light on the fate of the Roma under the Nazis (14/03/2016)

On 27 January 2016, the European Commission held the fifth edition of its Holocaust Remembrance Day, which was dedicated this year to the fate of the Roma during the Nazi regime.

'Debating Europe', an innovative platform for dialogue between leaders and citizens (14/03/2016)

'Debating Europe' is a civil society project submitted by Friends of Europe and selected in 2015 under the Europe for Citizens programme, which aims to foster debate on a full range of grassroots issues facing Europe, and to challenge traditional ‘top-down’ EU thinking with a citizen-driven ‘bottom-up’ approach.

Forgotten places of forced labour under Nazi regime (14/03/2016)

This article focuses on a project funded under the Europe for Citizens programme, initiated by the Terezin Initiative Institute (Czech Republic) in cooperation with Antikomplex (CZ), Living Memory (CZ) and KZ-Gedenkstädte Flossenbürg (Germany).

Arts for Tolerance : a Hungarian project of network of towns (14/03/2016)

"Arts for Tolerance" is a project of network of towns implemented by the municipality of Nagyecsed with its Romanian, Slovakian and Polish partners (Asociatia Nevo Parudimos [RO], Oz Info Rom [SK], Stowarzyszenie Zamojskie Centrum Wolontariatu [PL]). It aims at improving self-knowledge, cultural heritage and integration of the Roma community through artistic activities. Our contact point in Hungary interviewed Szilvia Erősné Balogh (project leader) and Zsuzsanna Ivánku (coordinator) about this project selected in 2015 under the 'Europe for Citizens' programme.

Citizen Rights Report (01/03/2016)

As part of the Citi-Rights project, the European Civic Forum and European Alternatives have produced a Citizen Rights Report, where recommendations and inputs are made to European Institutions with a view to better protecting rights enshrined in EU Treaties and including citizens in EU level decision making.

This newsletter : a new communication tool for our Programme (11/11/2015)

As of January 2016, you will receive a modernised electronic newsletter dedicated to the 'Europe for Citizens' programme. This e-newsletter will not only provide information about the Programme implementation, but also disseminate all relevant news concerning its funded projects, beneficiaries, partners and stakeholders as well as a calendar of future events relating to citizenship issues.

From annual to multi-annual priorities (08/12/2015)

As from 2016, the programme priorities will become multi-annual and apply from 2016 to 2020 so that applicants know them far in advance and have more time to plan and prepare their projects.

A New Platform for Disseminating Information about Selected Projects (07/12/2015)

In a strategy for disseminating information about the selected projects and for promoting best practices, a new database of funded projects under the 'Europe for Citizens' programme will be available online very soon.

European Volunteering Capitals 2016 & 2017 : and the winners are... (08/12/2015)

During the European Volunteering Capital 2015 closing ceremony in Lisbon on 4 December 2015, the European Volunteer Centre (CEV) announced that London (United Kingdom) and Sligo (Ireland) were the selected municipalities for being the European Volunteering Capitals in 2016 and 2017.

Projects selected under the 2015 second round (09/12/2015)

In the framework of the second selection round for 2015, 12 projects of network of towns were selected under the 'Europe for Citizens' programme, as well as 96 town-twinning projects.

Contact Points held their latest meeting mid-October 2015 (27/11/2015)

This meeting was organised in Paris by the CIDEM (Civisme et Démocratie), an organisation which hosts the French Contact Point. Thirty participants representing Contact Points from 21 countries and two officials representing the Commission and the Executive Agency met and discussed on this occasion about the Programme implementation. Several best pratices projets from the hosting country were also presented.

First event under the WE-NET project (08/12/2015)

The first international event of the project WE-NET ('Working for Environmentally Educated Towns') took place in Thiene (Italy) on 13-15 November.

Italian Projects dealing with Migration Issues (02/12/2015)

In tune with the new positioning of the Programme within DG Migration and Home Affairs, and echoing current events, many applicants have successfully proposed for funding projects dealing with migration issues. Let's put the spotlight on three Italian projects selected in 2015 under the 'Europe for Citizens' programme.

Closing workshop of the "Nine Tasks" project (27/11/2015)

This workshop took place in Auschwitz on 22-23 October 2015. It was organised to mark the near completion of the "Nine Tasks" project, which is funded under our Programme and aims at safeguarding this "lieu de mémoire". It brought together around 50 participants from various Museum departments and Polish Ministry of Culture.

Latest edition of the Central European Forum (03/12/2015)

As every year since 2009, participants in the Central European Forum gathered in Bratislava from 13 to 15 November 2015 so as to discuss the issues of trust in public space and politics and the issues of memory.

Three important documents adopted in the youth field (01/12/2015)

Late November 2015, no less than three important documents were adopted in the youth field: 1. the Youth Report 2015 ; 2. the EU Work plan for Youth ; 3. a Council Resolution on 'encouraging political participation of young people in democratic life in Europe'.

Next edition of the Holocaust Remembrance Day (27/01/2016)

The European Commission will commemorate the International Holocaust Day on 27 January 2016 in its Berlaymont headquarters. For this 5th edition event, the European Commission is expected to welcome an exhibition entitled "Roma Memory" on the history of Roma persecution and extermination during the Second World War and the persistent discrimination against the Roma today.