Democracy Rights and Values Empowered by Civil Society

forthcoming

CSE will reinforce coordination and mutual exchanges among civil society organisations (CSOs) at EU level, enhancing their contribution to strengthening democracy, civic engagement and fundamental rights through Working Groups, broad coalitions, and partnerships with other stakeholders and academia. CSE will organise training on regulatory provisions aiming at reinforcing CSOs’ adherence to values, quality and accountability. With a broad coalition of CSOs, we will work towards the adoption of a European Civil Society Strategy with enabling measures for civic space, a regulatory framework for civil society, protection of human rights defenders, and guidelines on civic space in policy and legislation. CSE will contribute to the rule of law cycle’s implementation and review by reinforcing content on civic freedoms. We will publish a report on the State of Democracy in the EU that fosters participation and civil society engagement, and promotes a proactive and innovative approach to tackle strategic challenges, as a contribution to the European Democracy Action Plan. We will design an action plan on civil dialogue with guidelines tailored to different institutions and levels of governance, and proposals for strengthening good governance. We will contribute to discussions on EU funding priorities reinforcing democracy and civic engagement. CSE will adopt and present a joint Civil Society Reflection Paper on reforms to the EU Treaties in light of possible enlargement. Gender equality, non-discrimination and the inclusion of marginalised groups will be at the core of our proposal’s implementation by involving CSOs led by/representing such groups in the decision-making on deliverables. We will implement 2 key ad hoc activities: a civil society power campaign with CSOs’ life stories to highlight EU civil society’s added value, and a 10-year CSE anniversary event on the history of civil society. CSE’s activities will promote citizens’ engagement and strengthen EU democracy.