Open letter of European Civil society organisations coordinated by European Civic forum was co-signed by CROSOL:
“Despite the demands presented to you in July by Civil Society Europe – the European coordination for Civil Society Organisations, despite your declarations of commitment to strengthening European democracy alongside the fundamental rights and values proclaimed in the Treaties, despite ten years now that the European Parliament has repeatedly called for the full implementation of all the provisions of article 11 of the TEU, we sadly note you did not mandate any Vice-President for putting this into practice. At a time when civil society space is in danger in many European countries (and beyond), as continuously alerted by civil society groups and stressed by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency , we urge you to give a full and visible place to civil dialogue and explicitly mention this responsibility within the mandates of next EU Commissioners. Based on the provisions of article 11 of the TEU and of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, we ask you to take into consideration amendments for the portfolios of Commissioners-designate Vice-Presidents for Values and Transparency, and Democracy and Demography (please see the amended mission-letters enclosed – “European citizens and the organisations they belong to must play a leading and active part in building our Union.”), in order to:
- include freedom of association and assembly, alongside the freedom and pluralism of media, as indicator for democracy while assessing the implementation of EU values, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights;
- establish a consistent framework defining the relations between EU institutions and civil society, including the organised civil society, in order to engage in all areas of EU action in an open, regular and transparent dialogue that will strengthen European democracy by giving voice and follow-up means to all civic actors so that the European Union that serves the common good. “
The full text of the letter is available at this link.
