EMI Political Committee on Democracy, Citizen Participation and Fundamental Values

Co-Chairs

Tobias Köck (European Movement Germany)

Valeria Ronzitti (SGI Europe)

Committee Members

Aku Aarva (European Movement Finland)

Antonio Argenziano (European Movement Italy)

Liina Carr (European Trade Union Confederation)

Benoît Cassorla (SGI Europe)

Richard Corbett (European Movement UK)

Lana Đurčević (European Movement Croatia)

Monica Frassoni (European Green Party)

Mileva Gjurovska (European Movement North Macedonia)

Robin Mudry (JEF Europe – Young European Federalists)

Luis Norberto González Alonso (European Movement Spain)

Valerie Guimard (European Entrepreneurs)

Rory Harte (European Movement Ireland)

Aynur Hasanzadeh (AEGEE-Europe – European Students’ Forum)

Friederike Heuer ( Euractiv)

Dimitra Koutouzi (European Organisation of Military Associations and Trade Unions)

Roselyne Lefrançois (European Movement France)

Adrien Licha (ALDA)

Vladimir Medjak (European Movement Serbia)

Kurt Nielsen (European Movement Denmark)

Juan Pedro Perez-Escanilla (Union Syndicale Fédérale)

Gilles Pittoors (European Movement Belgium)

Diāna Potjomkina (European Movement Latvia)

Dren Puka (Kosovar Civil Society Foundation)

Sneska Quaedvlieg-Mihailovic (Europanostra)

Anne-Rieke Stuhlmann (Samaritan International)

Laura Tatarėlytė (European Movement Lithuania)

Antonella Valmorbida (European Association for Local Democracy)

Daniela Vancic (Democracy International)

George Vital Zammit (European Movement Malta)

Paul Wardenga (Samaritan International)

Laurent Watrin (Council of European Municipalities and Regions)

Eliana Zatschler (EWLA)

Giorgos Zervakis (European Movement Greece)

Priority Policy Areas

Bridging the gap between citizens, representative associations, and the EU

• Building opportunities to innovate the EU’s democratic governance and legitimacy;
• Fostering citizen’s participation in EU decision-making at the local, regional, national and EU level and bringing forward the consolidation of a European public sphere;
• Fostering involvement of youth in EU decision-making at local, regional, national and EU level, providing opportunities for debate and serving as a bridge between youth and stakeholders on all levels;
• Fostering responsible citizenship civic education and history education about the EU placed in a wider European context;
• Promoting civil society organisations and civil dialogue at all levels in line with Article 11;
• Increasing transparency of decision-making procedures and lobbying activities at all levels.

Promoting and protecting values, civic space and European unity

• Defending the EU’s fundamental values including the rule of law, democracy, fundamental rights, and equality across the European continent while connecting these issues with the EU’s long-term budget;
• Protecting our borderless Union by ensuring freedom of movement and the reinforcement of the Schengen agreement;
• Promoting civil society, diversifying civic space, and strengthening pluralistic and diverse societies in which fundamental rights are protected against all forms of discrimination and nationalist and populist movements, while paying particular attention to the needs and rights of minorities;
• Protecting sovereign parliaments, fair elections, independent courts, and free press at all times; 
• Enhancing the regulation, transparency, and accountability of online platforms and shaping the digital sphere to accommodate inclusive, democratic dialogues while tackling discrimination, hate speech, and violence online;
• Highlighting the cultural considerations and cultural dimensions of Europe, promoting cultural heritage as a key vector for achieving all policies in Europe, promoting investment in the cultural sector, in particular in times of crisis, and emphasising the crucial role of our shared cultural heritage for the promotion of our shared European values; 
• Countering fake news and disinformation and promoting the collaboration of organisations and policy-makers to promote common solutions to these issues;
• Supporting a long-term, sustainable, and multi-dimensional approach when it comes to the integration of migrants, based on respectful intercultural exchanges and mutual understanding, while promoting cooperation and the exchange of best-practices among key actors across Member States.

Shaping the Conference on the Future of Europe 

• Ensuring that civil society is involved in the preparation, delivery and follow-up of the Conference;
• Working towards a Conference that provides citizens from all walks of life, at the European, national and local level, a platform to discuss the future of Europe and the future institutional framework of the EU;
• Facilitating the wide participation and deep deliberation with citizens and civil society, and gathering a diverse and balanced group of citizens that represents European society in its diversity today;
• Deepening the dialogue between national parliaments and the European parliament;
• Emphasising the transversality of the Conference on the Future of Europe and its intersection with citizens’ and civil society’s priorities.

Recent Policy Positions

• EMI Policy Summary
• Conference on the Future of Europe
• Enhancing Citizen Participation in the European Union
• European Movement Criteria for the EU-wide Citizens’ Consultations
• Citizen’s participation and transparency: closing the gap
• Migration and the Refugee Crisis: A European Response
• Making the Transparency Register Transparent
• Trilogue Consultation
• European Electoral Reform

Take a look at our other policy positions here.

Related events and projects

• Democracy Alive
• Listen to Europe
• 48 Hours for Democracy
• European Democracy Group
• Event: How Can We Get European Democracy Right?
• Event: Integrity, Transparency and Good Corporate Citizenship
• Event: Bridging The Gap Between Citizens And The EU