Reconnecting Europe with its citizens
Regions matter!
It is a well-known fact that one of the EU's greatest challenges is making the citizens understand the workings and decision making of the EU institutions and engaging them in its work.
Regions have the potential to play a decisive role as bridges between the European level and the citizens: on one side they play a key role in implementing European policies on the ground, and on the other side they are able to bring the views of the citizens to the European decision-making table.
AER ensures in its work that regions are empowered to fullfil this task and supported with expertise, information and know-how.
European Citizens' Initiative (ECI):
The Lisbon Treaty puts in place a new democratic instrument - the so called European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) - which will give theoretically citizens the chance to have a greater say in European politics. However, important questions are still open: 'How will the ECI work in practice and how can regions contribute to it or make use of it? Will it finally contribute to making Europe more citizens friendly and transparent? AER is continuing to monitor this initiative and make the voice of the regions heard when implementing it.
AER position on the ECI - adopted 2010
The June 2007 European Council underlined the crucial importance of reinforcing communication with the European Citizens. Last October (2007) the European Commission published a Communication called: Communicating Europe in Partnership. This Communication builds on the previous iniatives and activities of the European Commission, it sums them up, consolidates current activities, and it formulates a set of concrete proposals on how to enhance communication policy of the EU.
AER White Paper on the Role of the Regions in Reconnecting Europe with the Citizen
In this White Paper, the European regions set out their shared strategy for how they, working together with the citizens and with local, national and European institutions, can help to tackle some of the core problems facing European integration today. It shows how the regions can bring legitimacy to the European integration process and sets out a series of concrete measures that can help to bring the grassroots back into the European Union.
Whitebook Reconnecting Citzens
Plan D for Democracy, Dialogue and Debate of the European Commission
The European Commission has developed a number of strategies for improving communication with the citizens, set out in its so-called Plan D' and Communications Strategy'. The AER believes that the Commission needs to give a far greater role to the regions in these initiatives and that it needs to devolve its financial resources for communication to the regional level, where they can be used most effectively.
AER Position on the Commission's White Paper on a European Communication Policy
AER Position on the Commission's Contribution to the Period of Reflection and Beyond: Plan D for Democracy, Dialogue and Debate
In order to make people aware of their European identity and to help regions to play their part in the European integration process, the AER developed a set of initiatives:
AER Communication Atelier on Europe
- Debate European Communication and see what other regions are doing in this field
AER Communicating Europe Award
- Showcase your best practices in regional communication on Europe
AER Competition: Do you speak European?
- Compete and debate with other regions from all over Europe of what it means to be European
AER European Citizens' Forum
- Discuss with regional and European politicians the present and future of Europe
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