Some of TSI’s European stakeholders were involved in the launch of Civil Society Europe – the European Coordination of Civil Society Organisations. This initiative aims to aims to represent the values the signatories claim should be at the heart of the European project. According to their manifesto Civil Society Europe should:

  • Create an enabling environment for horizonal exchanges between civil society organisations and movements across Europe
  • Be influential in shaping the agenda on transversal issues of common interest for organised civil society in Europe.

Background is the the lack of a really efficient civil dialogue at EU-level stipulated in the Lisbon-Treaty and the positive experiences of the coordination of the European Year of Citizens 2013. Civil Society Europe intends to be at European level a legitimate and representative platform of civil society organisations. Their joint values are:

  • European citizenship should be founded on the principle of residence and in the name of universality of rights all residents of the European Union should enjoy equality of treatment and the same right to participate in public life as EU citizens.
  • Participatory democracy meets the present-day needs of European democratic governance across the Union by supplementing and reinforcing representative democracy. Article 11 of the Lisbon Treaty is particularly important, as it has provided an institutional commitment to an “open, transparent and regular dialogue” between Europe’s governing bodies and civil society, aiming at ending the “democratic deficit”, while providing active European citizenship.
  • Active European citizenship guarantees that all citizens can participate in the life of their communities and the shaping of public policies, including the most disadvantaged groups which are most often remote from the European building process.

You can download the full manifest below.

TSI stakeholders Association of Local Democracy Agencies – ALDA, Concord Europe, European Alternatives, European Network of National Associations – ENNA, European Volunteer Centre – CEV, Social Platform, Volonteurope, and World Organisation of Scout Movement are members of Civil Society Europe.