Participation – ERGO Network

Anti-Racism Manifesto to Political Parties Ahead of European Parliament Elections 2024

ERGO Network Sends Anti-Racism Manifesto to Political Parties Ahead of European Parliament Elections 2024:

We Call on European Political Parties to Pledge Support and Combat Discrimination

ERGO Network has taken a proactive stance in the lead-up to the pre-European Parliament elections 2024, signalling its commitment to fighting discrimination, racism, and the marginalization of racialized minorities in Europe, particularly the Roma community. In an effort to engage with political groups and garner their support for this crucial cause, we released a political Manifesto, consisting of 10 key demands.

See the full Manifesto here

Supported by its members and partner organisations, ERGO Network’s Manifesto seeks to address the pressing issue of racial discrimination and exclusion. We are actively inviting European political parties to endorse the Manifesto and thereby demonstrate their unwavering commitment to combating racism.

By doing so, these parties pledge to prioritise the fight against racism in their campaign agendas and subsequent activities following the European Parliament elections. ERGO expects that this commitment will be carried forward not only within the parties themselves but also in their collaboration with EU institutions and national governments.

ERGO Network’s Manifesto stands as a powerful call to action, urging political parties to take a more prominent role in mainstreaming the fight against racism and discrimination across Europe. By signing this Manifesto, parties acknowledge the urgent need to address these issues and work collaboratively to bring about positive change.

While ERGO Network extends its invitation to all European political parties, the Manifesto was sent to the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Party, the European Green Party (European Greens), The European People’s Party Group (EPP Group) and the Party of European Socialists (PES).

This initiative is a testament to our dedication to improving the lives of marginalised communities, particularly the Roma, and it underscores the importance of addressing racism and discrimination on a political level. As the European Parliament elections draw near, our Manifesto sets a significant precedent, pushing for a more inclusive and anti-racist Europe.

For further information and inquiries please contact ERGO Network’s Senior Advocacy Officer Isabela Mihalache at i.mihalache@ergonetwork.org.

ERGO Network’s Exchange Visit to Amaro Drom, Germany

On 23-26 May, ERGO Network organised an exchange visit in collaboration with one of its members – Amaro Drom, located in Berlin. The visit team included representatives from seven member organizations, accompanied by three staff members from ERGO Network.

Amaro Drom is a youth organization that promotes political and social participation among Roma and non-Roma individuals. They aim to empower and mobilize young people through self-organization. Amaro Drom operates as a federal association with a strong network for exchange and support among state associations and other youth organizations in Germany.

During the visit, we were warmly welcomed by Mr Merdjan Jakupov, the director of Amaro Drom, and had dinner together on May 23. For many of us, this was our first opportunity to meet colleagues from other member organizations.

On May 24, the first day of the visit, we gathered at the Bildungsforum gegen Antiziganismus (Educational Centre against Antigypsyism), which shares the same building as Amaro Drom’s offices. The premises featured informative displays about the Roma Holocaust and the development of the movement for its recognition.

We were introduced to the work of Amaro Drom by four of their employees. Since it is primarily a youth organization, they focus on projects that educate young Roma about antigypsyism, its consequences, and effective ways to combat it. Through the “Kompetenznetwork Anticiganismus” project, they have established six new youth groups that transformed into associations and joined the Amaro Drom network. They also provide training for young Roma and Sinti leaders and organize national and international youth exchanges. Additionally, they raise awareness about antigypsyism among the majority of society through workshops in schools. Amaro Drom also uses platforms like TikTok to enhance the visibility of young and active Roma and Sinti, gaining 5,000 followers in just six months. They publish a youth magazine that shares the ideas and thoughts of young Roma and Sinti and run an Intercultural Academy for both the general public and the Roma community.

In Berlin, Amaro Drom aims to raise awareness among young people aged 18-30 about various human rights issues. They organize thematic city tours from alternative perspectives, including those of immigrants, street art, and Roma, followed by workshops on intersectionality and prejudices.

During the visit, we also learned about the work of the Bildungsforum gegen Antiziganismus. Their main focus is to document the history and current state of antigypsyism in Germany while educating the public. As a branch of the Documentation and Cultural Centre of German Sinti and Roma Genocide Victims, the Educational Centre collaborates with Amaro Drom to counter the prevailing narrative that Sinti and Roma are mainly seen as criminals. They conduct training for various groups of civil servants, such as teachers and police officers, organize public discussions, produce publications, and raise awareness about antigypsyism.

The third organization we encountered was the recently established Registration and Information Centre on Antigypsyism (Melde- in Informationsstelle Antiziganismus, MIA). MIA is a civil society monitoring agency that systematically records and evaluates instances of antigypsyism in Germany. Their goal is to shed light on the manifestations and extent of antigypsyism in German society and promote awareness of the problem. MIA collaborates with associations, consulting and anti-discrimination agencies, other civil society organizations, and government institutions. They also offer qualification seminars on the topic and develop a category system for recognizing and reporting antigypsyism.

Throughout our visit, we engaged in discussions with our colleagues on various topics. We learned that there are no official figures for the number of Roma and Sinti living in Germany, as they are not recognized as a national minority. The estimated official number is around 60,000 Sinti and 100,000 Roma, but field reports suggest a minimum of 500,000 Roma, including immigrants from Balkan countries in Germany with the total population of 80 million. We also discussed the barriers faced by Roma in the German education system, which hinder their access to higher education.

It is important to note that all the organizations presented during the visit are funded by both federal and Berlin governmental budgets.

On the second day of the visit we visited the administrative offices of Amaro Foro. Since 2010, this organization has provided social counselling to Roma living in Berlin, particularly those from Bulgaria and Romania. They are also members of the Amaro Drom network and document and report incidents of antigypsyism through their project called Dosta, which started in 2014.

During our discussions with Amaro Foro, we explored the different treatment of immigrants from Bulgaria and Romania, as well as those who speak Turkish, which is even encoded in state law.

After lunch, we visited memorials dedicated to victims of antigypsyism. We first paid our respects at the memorial stone for the boxer Rukeli Trollmann, who was persecuted during World War II. Then we visited the Memorial of Jewish victims of the Holocaust, followed by the Roma and Sinti Holocaust Victims Memorial, situated near the German Parliament (Bundestag).

Everyone departed for their countries filled with excitement and inspiration. The exchange visit turned out to be a resounding success for our member organizations, providing us with a deeper understanding of the persisting antigypsyism attitudes in German society and the importance of combating them. We owe this achievement to the incredible hospitality and inspirational work of our host, Amaro Drom.

ERGO Network has plans to organize similar visits to other member organizations in the coming years. These events play a vital role in our work by allowing us to understand the challenges faced by Roma communities in different countries and learn about the innovative solutions being implemented by local organizations. By facilitating these exchanges, we foster a spirit of collaboration and knowledge-sharing that enables us to collectively address the issues affecting Roma communities and work towards positive change.

EQUIP Re-granting to ERGO Network members

We are excited to announce that we have selected the organisations implementing our 2023 subgrating activities.

ERGO Network has awarded its members with small grants in 3 different categories this year as part of its Annual Work Programme “Roma Equality, Inclusion and Participation 2023”, funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV) of the European Commission and supported by the EPIM.

Our members could apply for a grant under three categories: Research, National Coalition, Capacity Building, Campaigning, and Advocacy. These categories provided a platform for our members to seek financial support and pursue their projects and initiatives within these areas.

In the Research category, our members could submit their applications for projects that seek to support local and national Roma civil society in gathering evidence of challenges Roma faces on a local level through research activities.

This particular category encompasses a total of four types of projects. The first project is centred around addressing Child Poverty within Roma Communities. Integro (Bulgaria), through their dedicated research on the European Child Guarantee plan in Bulgaria, aims to advocate for corrective measures and the betterment of the situation. Jaw Dikh (Poland) intends to research Roma activists who support Ukrainian Roma refugees residing in Poland. This research aims to document their valuable experiences, promote Roma agency, and advocate for policy changes that will empower Roma communities.

Policy Center (Romania) will focus its research on establishing a framework that facilitates Roma’s participation in tackling environmental racism. Lastly, Slovo 21 (Czech Republic) will research to explore the life priorities and role models of Czech Roma individuals.

The National Coalition category allowed our members to extend their support through grants. These grants intend to boost national Roma civil society coalitions by fostering knowledge sharing. Through experience exchange, resource pooling, and the formulation of unified standpoints, projects aim to strengthen the collective efforts of these coalitions, effectively address the challenges faced by the Roma community, and work towards achieving common objectives.

Within this category, we have identified and selected six organisations. The Autonomia Foundation (Hungary) is dedicated to advocating for Roma rights in the country. Additionally, the foundation aspires to expand its membership, fostering greater support and collaboration. Nevo Parudimos (Romania) is working on strengthening the Roma coalition Roma Forum to implement the national Roma strategy and enhance communication with institutions.
FAGIC (Spain), on the other hand, works to establish coalitions of Roma organisations within Catalonia and Spain to advocate for the effective implementation of the new National Roma Framework. The Intellect Coalition – Integro Association (Bulgaria) emphasises municipal strategies, territorial investments, EU programs, and recovery measures. RARC (Slovakia) strives to forge alliances following elections, ensuring the continuity of systemic efforts in combating antigypsyism and promoting media ethics. Lastly, the RomanoNet (Czech Republic) coalition sets on actively participating in program planning and engaging in advocacy meetings with Ministries. This proactive approach is aimed at implementing the National Roma Integration Strategy.

Five organisations have been carefully selected for the Capacity-building, Campaigning, and Advocacy Projects. The Amaro Drom (Germany) project enhances the PR and their social media presence. Furthermore, the project aims to engage new youth, improve media skills, and challenge existing stereotypes. By promoting positive self-representation of Roma and Sinti in Germany, the project actively contributes to the fight against antigypsyism.

In the Integro project, the primary objective is to raise awareness among vulnerable individuals about planned changes to social assistance programs in Bulgaria. Through targeted efforts, the project seeks to ensure that those affected have access to vital information, empowering them to navigate these changes effectively. Life Together (Czechia) is dedicated to advocating for justice by demanding compensation for forcibly sterilized women. The project sets forth goals such as shifting the burden of proof onto the state, offering support to individuals with missing hospital records, and empowering survivors to engage with elected representatives.

Pavee Point’s (Ireland) project centres around supporting young Travelers in forming a cultural group and exploring their rich heritage. The project fosters a sense of pride and empowerment among the community’s youth by nurturing cultural identity and providing a platform for artistic expression. The Roma Community Centre’s (Lithuania) project takes a comprehensive approach to combating antigypsyism through various campaigning and advocacy initiatives. These include facilitating public discussions, showcasing educational videos in public spaces, and engaging the public through interactive games. The project strives to create a more inclusive society by raising awareness and promoting understanding.

A part of the Capacity Building, Campaigning, and Advocacy Projects focuses explicitly on supporting Ukrainian Roma Refugees. Within this category, the four projects have been carefully selected that aim to assist and empower Ukrainian Roma Refugees in their integration into society across four countries: Poland, Hungary, Romania, and the Czech Republic. These selected projects address the unique challenges Ukrainian Roma Refugees face and facilitate their successful inclusion and participation within their respective host societies.

ERGO Network would love to express our sincere wishes to our members. We look forward to witnessing the outcomes of increased participation, strengthened civil society, and other positive impacts. To stay updated on the progress and implementation of the initiatives, we encourage you to follow us on social media channels. We will provide a comprehensive final summary, which will be shared in November.

If you would like to know more about these projects, keep checking this website, or drop us an email at info@ergonetwork.org.

The projects supporting Roma refugees from Ukraine are co-funded by the European Programme for Integration and Migration (EPIM), a collaborative initiative of the Network of European Foundations (NEF).

JOINT STATEMENT “End the war against Ukraine!”

JOINT STATEMENT “End the war against Ukraine!” #StandWithUkraine

Please follow the link here or below to sign this letter. Also, please help it to reach more people by sharing it with your networks and on your social media.

Date: 1st of March 2022

Roma individuals, civil society organisations, and allies from across the globe; we condemn the war against Ukraine and call on the Russian Federation to cease the attacks and acts of violence against Ukraine.

This war is not only a threat to European security and peace, it is a violation of international humanitarian and human rights laws under treaties ratified by the Russian Federation. This act of violence has already led to far too many deaths on both sides and continues to force hundreds of thousands of citizens to seek refuge in neighbouring countries while many others are stuck in conflict zones where missiles, bombs, and gunfire are a daily occurrence.

As signatories, we call in solidarity for peace and diplomatic relations to return.

From the Second World War to the Balkan Wars of the late 1990s, history has shown us that in times of war or conflict, the plight of Roma as well as other minorities is continuously ignored. Ethnic minorities are often rendered invisible and further victimised instead of being provided equal protection. Amid bomb and missile assaults upon Ukrainian cities, let us not yet again forget that among the stranded families (who are increasingly living without supplies, electricity, or medical equipment) are Roma, people of African descent, stateless people, migrants, women, elderly, sick people, differently-abled human beings, children, including those in state care. Let us not forget that amongst those joining the resistance to fight for the freedom and security of Ukraine, and all its residents, are those same people.

As we have already witnessed in countries around the world, people of all nationalities are standing in solidarity with the civilians affected by war once again in Europe. Let us collectively fight for peace, justice and integrity by continuing to be united in taking a stand against the horrors of war and violence.

As signatories, we call on:

Relevant authorities to ensure that the 400,000 Roma and other vulnerable and marginalised individuals, including women, elderly, sick people, differently-abled human beings, children, including those in state care, detainees, stateless people (among them 35,000 stateless Roma), migrants, including the estimated 15,000 students from African and Asian countries living in Ukraine are granted equal protection and safety when seeking refuge inside and outside of the country.
Governments, world leaders, international, regional and European institutions and organisations to provide equal access to humanitarian aid for Roma, and other marginalised or vulnerable individuals (including ethnic, religious, sexual, and racialised minorities, women, elderly, sick people, differently-abled human beings, children, including those in state care, detainees, stateless and those without identity documents).
Governments, world leaders, international, regional and European institutions and organisations to monitor human rights violations and violence experienced by Roma and other minorities and vulnerable and marginalised individuals and communities; and to investigate the reported allegations of discrimination against minority groups by the Ukrainian and/or EU authorities when seeking protection and asylum at the borders.
Media editors, journalists, and politicians to not monetise the war against Ukraine to promote inflammatory, racist portrayals of marginalised groups, including Roma. Such stories only further stigmatise and victimise minorities and promote the risk of additional violence against these groups.
United Nations bodies – High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Development Programme, UNICEF and other UN secretariat units – to work closely with Roma civil society organisations and take measures to ensure that Roma refugees and other minorities face no discrimination; and to provide monitoring and practical knowledge and assistance for the respect of human rights at the national level to prevent any human rights violations.

We in civil society will continue to collect information on the situation of Roma in and out of Ukraine, including evidence of allegations of discrimination or other human rights violations and to keep relevant European, international institutions and treaty bodies informed.

Please consider joining us by signing this letter. To do so follow this link.

Additionally, advocacy letters were sent by ERGO Network to the European Union and United Nations. See more information here.

Signatures:

Members and former Members of European Parliament:

Romeo Franz, Member of the European Parliament
Monika Vana, Member of the European Parliament
Dr. Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, Member of the European Parliament
Terry Reintke, Member of the European Parliament
Soraya Post, Sweden, former Member of the European Parliament

International organisations:

European Roma Grassroots Organisations (ERGO) Network
European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC)
European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC)
Phiren Amenca International Network
Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD)
European Public Health Alliance, Belgium
ternYpe International Roma Youth Network
Dikh He Na Bister (Look and don’t Forget) – Roma Genocide Remembrance Initiative
CEU Roma Students and Alumni Association
International Roma Women Network Phenjalipe
Dikhlo Collective

National Organisations:

Minority Rights Group International, Hungary
Minority Rights Group International, United Kingdom
Central Council for German Sinti and Roma, Germany
Roma Active Albania, Albania
Art Foundation Jaw Dikh, Poland
Amaro Drom e.V., Germany
ROMEA, Czech Republic
ARA ART, Czech Republic
ARA ART SK, Slovakia
RomanoNet, Czech Republic
KaskoSan Roma Charity, United Kingdom
Roma Support Group, United Kingdom
Life Together, Czech Republic
E-Romnja Association, Romania
Regional Roma Educational Youth Association, North Macedonia
Amare Phrala – Our Brothers, Romania
Center for Education and Human Rights, Romania
Federation of Roma Associations in Catalonia – FAGiC, Spain
Magasin DIKKO, Sweden
Roma emancipation, Sweden
KHarkiv national cultural society Romen, Ukraine
Network for exposed EU-citizen, Sweden
Derbyshire Gypsy Liaison Group, UK
Amnesty International, Sweden
The Chorus of Woman Foundation, Poland
l’association choregraphique, France
Integro Association, Bulgaria
Romedia Foundation, Hungary
National Network of Health Mediators, Bulgaria
Advancing Together, Kosovo
Roma women and girls Network in Moldova ‘Moldsolidaritate’, Moldova
Roma Lawyers Association Macedonia, North Macedonia
International Falcon Movement- Socialist Educational International, Belgium
Association for Roma Women Development “Latcho Dive” Skopje, North Macedonia
Fundacja Puk Puk, Poland
Traveller Movement, UK
Pakiv Romania
Pavee Point Traveller & Roma Centre, Ireland
Romanó Kher, Spain
Fundatia CRCR, Romania
Forum Roma of Serbia
Community Renewal Trust Roma Team, Scotland
Fundación Secretariado Gitano, Spain
Culture Goes Europe e.V, Germany
Christian Roma Support, Netherlands
YUROM Centar, Serbia
Union Romaní española, Spain
Amalipe Center for Interethnic Dialogue and Tolerance, Bulgaria
Drive2survive, UK
The University of the West of Scotland
Voice of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians, Kosovo
Romano Lav (Roma Voice), UK
Roma Youth Organization Walk with us – Phiren Amenxa, Montenegro
Friends, Families and Travellers, UK
Advisory Council Education of Romany and Travellers, UK
Spring Pictures, UK
NGO “Association of Roma women “Voice of Romni”, Ukraine
Civil Rights Defenders, Sweden
Policy Center for Roma and Minorities, Romania
Fläming Kitchen, Info Zentrum der Winkel, Germany
individual, Hungary
Rromano Kham, Albania
Roma resource center, Croatia
Association for integrative inclusion Of Roma Otaharin, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Network of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian women organizations of Kosovo, Kosovo
Roma European Union JEKHIPE, Belgium
Roma Active Albania, Albania
NGO,,VISION 02″, Istog, Kosovë
Institute of Romani Culture in Albania, Albania
Women Space, Serbia
Youth Voice Network of Organizations, Albania
International Roma Women Fund “Chiricli”, Ukraine
AMSK/Brasil, Brasil
Luton Roma Trust, United Kingdom
Roma Women Fund “Chiricli”, Ukraine
Grandmothers without borders, Czech republic
Romedia Foundation, Hungary
Center for Roma Initiatives, Montenegro
Balkan Youth Activism, Albania
Activist, Albania
Plataforma Gitana de Acción Política Politirrom, España
Useful to Albanian Women, Albania
Irish Community Care, England
Juventas, Montenegro
CF “Winds of Changes”, Ukraine
Committe on National Minorities, Albania
European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture ERIAC, Berlin
Foundation Opre Roma for Community Empowerment, Bulgaria
Association LARGO, Bulgaria
Standing Conference of the Roma Associations of the Citizens – League of Roma, Serbia
Roma solidarity foundation, Bulgaria
Kulturno prosvetna organiziaciya na ciganite, Bulgaria Shumen
Former National Decade of Roma Inclusion Coordinator, Bulgaria
Sun for everyone, Bulgaria
RROMANE SIKLOVNE, Spain
The Health of Roma Foundation, Bulgaria
Associatina of Citizens Educational Centre of Roma, Serbia
Sdr. MAICHIN CENTAR ALTERNATIVA, Bulgaria
RAKO, Bulgaria
Roma Indian Diaspora, United Kingdom
Child Rights Centre Albania, Albania
RO -MAG, SHUMEN
ROMACT Bulgaria, Bulgaria
СНЦ “МАГ-Ботевград”
House of Lords, UK Parliament, UK
ESMA-Carrefour des Cultures, Belgique
minority rights activist, Slovenia/Belgium
Indiwidual, Indiwidual
Equal Opportunities Initiative Association, Bulgaria
Kerry Travellers’ Health Community Development Project, Ireland
Unite, Labour Party, UK
Voice of Roma in Albania, Albania
Roma Women and Youth Association “LULUDI”, Republic of North Macedonia
European Roma and Travellers Forum, France/Finland
French and Romanian Rromni, lawyer, author and activist, France
Associació Gitana de Joventut igualtat i Pogrés , Spain
INACH, Netherlands
Roma Women Platforme “ROMNI”, Moldova
Agency Drom Dromendar, Bulgaria
European Network on Statelessness (ENS), United Kingdom
Ververipen, Spain
Stowarzyszenie Romów w Polsce , Polska
National Roma Lawyers Network-Bulgaria, Bulgaria
Asociatia Nevo Parudimos, Romania
RYMEcast – Sinti & Roma Podcast, Germany
Article 12 in Scotland, United Kingdom
Czech Women´s Lobby, Czech Republic
Lumos Foundation, International organisation
Terne bersha, Ukraine
Symnakyno petalo, Ukraine
Ideea Rom Association Nottingham, United Kingdom
SODI e.V., Deutschland
Europia, UK
British Association of Social Workers, Cymru, United Kingdom
Lacho drom, Ukraine
GRTSWA, UK
Roma Support Group, UK
European playwork association, Germany
Govanhill Women’s Forum, UK
Glasgow to Ukraine, UK
Coop. Romano Drom Onlus, Italia
British Association of Social Workers (BASW), UK
Fondacioni “Harriet Martineau”, Tirana
Sdruzhenie Integro – Senovo, Bulgaria
Welsh kale, Canada
Gypsy Roma Traveller Social Work Association, UK
Schola Fidentiae – Škola s(ebe)vědomí, z.s., Czech Republic
Community Renewal Trust Roma Team, Scotland, Scotland
Youth of European Nationalities / Jugend Europäischer Volksgruppen, Germany
Asociación Intercultural Nakeramos (Ternype-Spain), Spain
Gypsies Travellers Wales, UK
Travellers Against Racism, United Kingdom
Birmingham City University, UK
Youth for Social Changes, Albania
Правозащитный ромский центр Одеса, Ukraine
Roma Entrepreneurship Development Initiative, Belgium
Odesa Romano kongreso, Ukraine
African Rainbow Family, United Kingdom
Biljajivka Romano sango le Odesake chakreste, Ukraine
Manchester Migrant Solidarity, United Kingdom
“Vatra” Psycho-Social Centre, Albania
Voice of Roma, United States of America
фондация “Бъдеще”, Ukraine
Пронет Медия, Bulgaria
Amrita OBK Assocition, Hungary
Samphire Charity, United Kingdom
Centre of Resources for Social Inclusion Cris, Romania
EUROPIA, United Kingdom
Connecting Roma C.I.C, United Kingdom
CHURCHES NETWORK FOR GYPSIES, TRAVELLERS AND ROMA – CNGTR, United Kingdom
Ben Hoare Bell LLP, United Kingdom
St James Centre, United Kingdom
Samphire Charity, United Kingdom
Amrita OBK Assocition, Hungary
NGO Slovo 21, Czech Republic
BASW Cymru, United Kingdom
Roma Center for Intercultural Dialog, Germany
CESPYD. Center of Community Research and Action, Spain
Roma Networks, Croatia
Prozor, Ukraine

Individuals and non-legal entities:

Margareta Matache, Roma scholar and activist, Romania
Marius Taba, United Kingdom
Jarmila Balážová, journalist, Czech Republic
RomLink initiative
Sri Kumar Vishwanathan, member of Czech Human Rights Commission
Elżbieta Mirga-Wójtowicz, Poland
Natalia Duminica, Moldova
Brandon Eby, Canada
Xhenson Çela, Albania
Mustafa Jakupov, North Macedonia
Norina Elvira Herki, Romania
Ramiza Sakip, North Macedonia
Igor Kostic, Serbia
Claudiu Stanescu, Italy
Simona Barbu, Romania
Tomas Scuka, Czechia
Frans Brinkman, Romania
Michał Dąbrowski, Poland
Nicolae Radita, Moldova
Anna Kaczmarzyk, Spain
Kamen Atanasov, Bulgaria
Angela Kocze, Hungary
Ognyan Isaev, Bulgaria
Katarzyna Dybzynska, Spain
Irina Faion, Bulgaria
Maria Metodieva, Bulgaria
Gultenur Mystafa Syuleyman
Greta Tünkler, Germany
Gwendolyn Albert, Czech Republic/USA
Nadja Greku, Serbia
Sarah Werner Boada, Austria
Atanas Zahariev, Austria
Radost Zaharieva, Belgium
Bożena Świerczek Flores, Poland
Juha Airola, Finland
Ileana Rotaru, Romania
Genoveva Sotirova, Bulgaria
Irina Spataru, Belgium
Ana Rozanova, Belgium
Jussi Valanki, Finland
Natalia Makowska, Poland
Margaret Beissinger, USA
Nina-Ursula Dreschke, Germany
Maritha Marques, Portugal
Lamia Missaoui, France
Magdalena Mira, Germany
Mattey Mitchell, UK
Sue Mutter, UK
Magda Hirschberger, Germany
Tamara Kovačević, Slovenia
Norman Biddlecombe, UK
Javier Sáez, Spain
Julija Marosek, Slovenia
Korab Jaha, Kosovo
Bernadett Varga, Belgium
Brisilda Taco, Albania
Maria Dumitru, United Kingdom
Sorina Sein, Italia
Miriam Kuse, Germany
Ana Oprisan, France
Adriatik Hasantari, Albania
Bernard Rorke, Hungary
Roma advocacy and research centre, Slovakia
Gabi Muntean, Ireland
Pedro Aguilera Cortés, Spain
Tica Muntean, Ireland
Shqipe Breznica, Kosovo
Diyan Dankov, Bulgaria
Annabel Carballo-Mes, Spain
Dawn Taylor, UK
Kata Nemeth, Hungary
Erion Xhaibra, Albania
Dritan Ziu, Albania
Wendy Charlton, UK
Valeri Lekov, Bulgaria
Ejona Mema, Albania
Alexandra Raykova, Bulgaria
Victoria Petrova, Bulgaria
Valeri Lekov, Bulgaria
Zsuzsanna Kovacs, Hungary
Galina Topalova, Bulgaria
Arman Heljic, PhD student in Gender Studies, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Lalo Kamenov, Bulgaria
Iliya Rusev, Bulgaria
Zina Tenekedzhieva, Bulgaria
Bagryan Maksimov, Bulgaria
Kalinka Vassileva, Bulgaria
Rusev Angel, Belgium
Ipek Mehmed, Bulgaria
Ramiza Sakip, Republic of North Macedonia
Iliana Tsankova, Bulgaria
Rositsa Hristova Milkova, Bulgaria
Fanya Gadularova, Bulgaria
Yulka Savkova Hristova, Bulgaria, Bulgaria
Irina Ilieva, Bulgaria
Ivan Miglenov, Bulgaria
Rachel Lloyd, USA
Byulen Mladenov, Bulgaria
Daniela Mihaylova, Bulgaria
Jasmina Tobbeche, Belgium
John Hockley QPM, United Kingdom
Jeman Hasan , Партньорство в действие
Radostin Yanev, United Kingdom
Ines Djemail, Republic of North Macedonia
Radka Yaneva, United Kingdom
Radostin Yanev, United Kingdom
Vergil Hasan Ibryam, Bulgaria
Andrea Ignacz, Hungary
Friedrich-Wilhelm Hoeper, Germany
Andrii Kosko, Ukraine
Nikita Lupolenko, Ukraine
Max Stukanov, Thailand Phuket
David Benak, Czech republic
Gilda-Nancy Horvath, Austria
Iliana Tsankova, Bulgaria
Martina Horváthová, Czech Republic
Milena Ivova Ilieva, Bulgaria
Paula Mittrowann, Germany
Maryana Borisova, Bulgaria
Carmen Baltzar, Finland
Roma Zimenko, Ukraine
Nonna Zolotareva, Ukraine
Ioana Țîștea, Finland
Voloshin Kamila, Ukraine
Voloshin Sergey, Ukraine
Voloshin Nelya, Ukraine
Khmeleva Oksana, Ukraine
Khmeleva Lida, Ukraine
Sinitsa Olga, Ukraine
Cherepovsky Petro, Ukraine
Cherepovsky Roman, Ukraine
Cherepovsky Ivan, Ukraine
Cherepovskaya Margarita, Ukraine
Cherepovskaya Marta, Ukraine
Cherepovskaya Tatiana, Ukraine
Cherepovsky Ruslan, Ukraine
Rada Voloshyna, United States
Cherepovskaya Zarina, Ukraine
Dragica Felja, United Kingdom
Dragica Felja, United Kingdom
Marie Horváthová , Czech Republic
Dragica Felja, United Kingdom
Rose Marie Maughan, Ireland
Dean Rheims, United Kingdom
Tobias Belli, United Kingdom
Phil Martin, United Kingdom
Christine Black, United Kingdom
Nicole Healing, United Kingdom
Olga Fuseini, United Kingdom
Paul Sayers, United Kingdom
Mr Jordan Lee James, United Kingdom
Adrian Leahy, United Kingdom
Grace Elbers, United States
Ruth Sullivan, United Kingdom
Jane Elisabeth King, United Kingdom
Hannah Johnston, United Kingdom
Violeta Naydenova, Bulgaria
Martin Gallagher, United Kingdom
Laura Cashman, United Kingdom
Alexandra Bahor, United Kingdom
Nidhi Trehan, United States
Ioanida Costache, Bucharest, Romania
Assia Kayoueche, United Kingdom
Professor Margaret Greenfields, United Kingdom
Samantha Heeson, United Kingdom
Jeannie Caton-Etherton, United Kingdom
Sephe Leslie Stewart, United Kingdom
Laurentiu Iapornicu, Romania
Chris Kidd, United Kingdom
Nathan Vishwanathan, Czech Republic
Ennèa Bála, United States
Ventsislav Savkov, Belgium
Stanislava Yassmin Vilcekova, United Kingdom
Lilyana Hristova, Belgium
Seher Erdzhan Kemal, Belgium
Miglena Asenova, Belgium
Lucy Lee, United Kingdom
Mária Zemanová, Slovakia
Cath Larkins, United Kingdom
Esther Stubbs, United Kingdom
Elizabeta Chase, Romania
Jo Cooper, United Kingdom
Merlina Koseni, Albania
Mimoza IKONOMI, Albania
Andrea Gilbert, United Kingdom
Andrea Gilbert, United Kingdom
John Blackchurch, USA
Orlin Orlinov, Bulgaria
Bagir Kwiek, Sweden
Judith Klenter, Belgium
Anjali Jeter, United Kingdom
David Williams, USA
Niamh O’Sullivan, Ireland
Rosa Cisneros, United Kingdom
Alexander Mušnka, Slovakia
Loizos Symeou, Cyprus
Maria Roth, Romania
Julia Szalai, Hungary
Max Matter, Switzerland
Mark Turner, Ireland
Sam Beck, Emeritus Senior Lecturer, Cornell University, USA
Meira Goldberg, United States
Carolina Leinwand, USA
Bonnie Jensen, Grønland
Amanda Parker, USA
Maria Manuela Mendes, Portugal
Isabelle Mas, Canada
Dr. med. Ricarda Kauert, Germany
Hristo Kyuchukov, Germany
Clara Chinoy, Spain
Lucy Hetherington, United Kingdom
Marius Tudor, Romania
Maria Alfredo Lopes Moreira, Portugal
José Luis castañeda Martínez, Columbia
Sophia Yamaguchi, Germany
Tina Magazzini, Italy
Alicia Fernández Gómez, Spain
Liliana José Alves Moreira, Portugal
Ana Rozanova, Belgium
Lucy Hetherington, United Kingdom
Russell Brown, USA
Christin Müller, Germany
Siegward Elsas, Switzerland
Ann Ostendorf, USA

Open Letter calling for meaningful debate on and written responses to European Citizens’ Panel recommendations

Open Letter calling for meaningful debate on and written responses to European Citizens’ Panel recommendations

Dear members of the Executive Board,

The Conference on the Future of Europe (hereafter: the Conference) is at a crossroads: either it will turn into an ugly interinstitutional battle happening largely behind closed doors, feeding cynicism about EU and the oft-declared ‘Europe of citizens’, or it will fully embrace the potential of meaningful and publicly accountable engagement with Europe’s citizens and residents. In order to increase our chances of the Conference going down the second road, we call on you to ensure that the recommendations coming out of the European Citizens’ Panels are all seriously and publicly debated and responded to in writing by the Conference Plenary and its Working Groups.

While the process of European Citizens’ Panels designed and implemented for the purpose of the Conference is very far from perfect, and while their output is not and should not be the exclusive input for the work of the Conference Plenary[1], the way this output is dealt with will be a crucial indicator for the success of the Conference[2]. If you invite 800 citizens from all across Europe to dedicate more than three weekends of their time to come up with recommendations for the future of the European Union, the least you owe them and the wider European public is a public debate followed by a clear, reasoned and detailed answer on each of their specific recommendations.

An important task of the Conference Plenary is to debate the recommendations coming out of the European Citizens’ Panels[3]. However, in order to ensure that this debate is meaningful and accountable, connected to the outcomes of the Citizens’ Panels, it should be followed by the adoption of a resolution in which the Conference Plenary responds concretely and in detail to each of the recommendations. In the absence of such a document, many citizens are likely to feel misled, as they will not see how their recommendations had a serious chance of being heard and making a difference. Even if the Conference Plenary disagrees with certain recommendations, it is of crucial importance to communicate and justify such opposition explicitly, publicly and in writing.

The Working Groups are the appropriate place to debate recommendations in detail and to prepare the final position of the Conference Plenary on citizens’ recommendations. In order to fulfil this role, Working Groups should be given the adequate resources and working structures, and their meetings should be live-streamed[4].

Considering the powers the EU institutions invested in you as Executive Board, as defined by the Joint Declaration, we count on you to adjust the Conference’s Rules of Procedure and the Working Groups Terms of Reference to accommodate our urgent requests for meaningful, publicly accessible Working Group and Conference Plenary debate on, and clear, detailed and reasoned written responses to, the European Citizens’ Panel recommendations.

We are looking forward to hearing back from you.

Sincerely,

List of civil society organisations co-signing this letter:

Alliance4Europe
Allianz für WERTEorientierte Demokratie (AllWeDo)
Alpe Adria Green
Another Europe
Asociación Musulmana por los Derechos Humanos
Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN)
Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law
Citizens for Europe
Citizens Take Over Europe
CIVICO Europa
Civil Society Development Foundation, Romania
Civil Society Europe
Culture Action Europe
Danubiana Network
Debating Europe
Democracy International
ENAR – European Network Against Racism
Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice
ERGO network
ETUC – European Trade Union Confederation
Eumans – citizens for democracy and sustainability
Europe for Scotland
European Alternatives
European Center for Not-for-profit Law Stichting (ECNL)
European Civic Forum
European Democracy Lab
European Environmental Bureau
European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless
European House
European Movement Italy
European Network on Religion & Belief
Fix The Status Quo
Fórum dos Cidadãos
Friends of the European Republic
Gong
Greek Forum of Migrants
IGO – Interessenvertretung Gemeinnütziger Organisationen
ILGA-Europe
INITIATIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION
Institute of Public Affairs
Ligue de l’enseignement
Mehr Demokratie e.V.
Music Theatre International
National Network for Civil Society Germany (BBE)
OGA Ireland – Open Government Association Ireland
Politics for Tomorrow / nextlearning e. V.
Pulse of Europe
Regional Roma Educational Youth Association – RROMA
Social Platform
Society for Sustainable Living/STUŽ
SOLIDAR
Stand Up for Europe
Take a Break from Brexit
TGEU
The ECI Campaign
The Good Lobby
The Wheel
Unconditional Basic Income Europe
Understanding Europe

This letter is sent to Executive Board members on Thursday, 20 January 2022, with a total of 58 co-signatories. If your organisation still wants to support this letter and remain updated, including about possible future actions, please fill out this form.

Footnotes:
[1] In this context, we want to mention and recognise the work done by the Civil Society Convention on the Future of Europe in bringing civil society actors together and developing common proposals for the Conference Plenary to debate and consider.
[2] We note that our call for written replies to recommendations from the European Citizens’ Panels does not preclude the Conference Plenary additionally developing written responses to recommendations from National Citizens’ Panels, from the Civil Society Convention on the Future of Europe and/or from other sources, as collected on the Digital Platform.
[3] See articles 5 and 17 of the Rules of Procedure of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
[4] Up until now, only one Working Group meeting was ever live-streamed, the ‘EU in the world’ Working Group meeting taking place on 17 December at 11:00 CET (find the recording here).