Euclid Network UNDEF Study Visit - Brussels and London

Euclid Network Fosters Relationships between European Institutions and Civil Society Professionals from Moldova and Ukraine 

Monday 28th February - Friday 4th March

As part of Euclid Network’s UNDEF project, a one-week study visit was run to bring 30 representatives of government and civil society from Ukraine and Moldova to Brussels and London, to better understand the role of the European institutions in the democratisation of the European neighbourhood, and the ways in which UK local and national government engage with civil society.

The methodology was unique because it combined public officials and civil society representatives in equal numbers, creating a shared learning environment that bridged traditional divisions.

The study group included senior officials from the Moldovan government, as well as high ranking representatives of regional governments in Ukraine, and a range of leading civil society representatives from both countries. 

Meetings were arranged with all of the major European institutions (European Commission, European Parliament, European Economic and Social Committee), and with a range of experts (on both the government and the civil society side) of how the two sides cooperate in the UK. 

The week proved to be extremely useful for all parties. As well as showcasing relevant case studies from more mature democracies, the visit also facilitated new contacts within and between Ukraine and Moldova, as many of the participants had never met before, despite working on the same topics. These new links will be further developed over the coming months and years, partly through the framework of this project.

The week ended with each participant making a commitment about one concrete step that they would take to improve government civil society relations through their work, as a direct result of the study visit. All participants will meet again at the project’s final conference in July, where progress on these commitments will be compared.

Please find the powerpoint presentations in the list below:

1. CONCORD, Franz Berger, meeting 3

2. Structured Dialogue, Elise Vanormelingen, meeting 3

3. Compact Voice, Oliver Reichardt, meeting 7

4. Beacon Scheme, Marianne Hood, meeting 11

5. VCSPB, Marianne Hood, meeting 11

Read the full final report on the trip here.