Consultations

For certain areas of policy, the European Commission (EC) opens public consultations, giving citizens the opportunity to have their say and contribute to the policy debate. This is particularly important for the third sector, to ensure that citizens' voices are represented and to ensure that the third sector perspective is at the heart of policymaking at the European level.

Euclid Network (EN)

• Encourages members to contribute to consultations
• Provides information and briefings on upcoming consultations
• Submits reponses from EN, on behalf of its members

EN works on consultation responses that impact civil society as a whole and policy areas that affect the majority of our members. To take part in other consultations, Your Voice in Europe provides details and discussions on policy at the European level.

 

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Current consultations

 

 

Consultation on Smart Regulation

Deadline: 21 September 2012

In its 2010 Communication on "Smart Regulation in the EU", the Commission set out a strategy to improve the way it designs, enforces, evaluates and revises European policies and regulations to ensure they benefit citizens and businesses.

Nearly two years later, the Commission is taking stock of the progress made and drawing lessons from its experience. This stakeholder consultation aims to collect your views and proposals to inform a Commission Communication reporting on Smart Regulation implementation.

The consultation focuses on how:

• To improve the quality and relevance of proposed and existing EU legislation
• To ensure the effective implementation of EU legislation
• To ensure the views of those affected by EU legislation better inform policy
• The European institutions and Member States can best collaborate to achieve the goals of Smart Regulation.

Euclid Network will respond to this consultation.

Click here to read more.

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Public Consultation: Towards a post-2015 development framework

Deadline: 15 September 2012

In 2013, a UN special event will follow up on efforts made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and will likely raise the issue of what might follow after the target year of 2015. Following the decisions taken at the review meeting in 2010, the UN Secretary General has started preparatory work. 2013 will consider some of the main challenges for the next 15 years and reflect on how the international community could help address them, including through a potential post-2015 development framework.

The EU, which continues to actively support the MDGs, is engaging in this debate. In parallel, the independent European Report on Development (ERD). The Commission in consultation with the EEAS is currently preparing a basis for the EU's initial contribution to the forthcoming international discussions, setting out principles for an EU position on a post-2015 framework. The objective of the current Public Consultation is to inform the preparation of an EU contribution to the UN process. Euclid Network will be responding to this consultation.

Click here to find out more or submit your feedback.

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Consultation on The General Block Exemption Regulation (the GBER)

Deadline: 12 September 2012

The GBER simplifies the procedures for aid granting authorities at national, regional or local level. It allows the granting of a range of measures with horizontal objectives considered to be in the common interest.

On 8th May 2012 the Commission adopted a Communication on State Aid Modernisation (SAM), setting out the objectives of an ambitious reform package. The review of the GBER constitutes an important element of SAM.

The GBER will expire on 31 December 2013. In this context, the present public consultation offers stakeholders the opportunity to provide input to the Commission at an early stage of policy making. Member States, other Institutions and stakeholders are invited to express their views on the GBER provisions currently applicable and to suggest possible amendments to these provisions.

Click here to find out how to submit feedback and for more information

 

 

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Have your say! Your rights, your future

Deadline: 9 September 2012

The European Commission offers you the chance to give your view on your rights as an EU citizen.

 

The European Commission is working to strengthen your rights. In 2010, the European Commission issued the first EU Citizenship Report to inform EU citizens about their rights. It listed 25 actions to make citizens’ life easier. These actions are well on track: check the dedicated scoreboard. Your views will help us prepare the next EU Citizenship Report that will be published in 2013 – The European Year of Citizens.

Euclid Network is preparing a response to this important consultation.

Access the consultation here and tell the European Commission what you think.

 

 

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Past Consultations

 

 

Consultation of the European Social Business Initiative

As part of the Single Market Act proposed by Commissioner Michel Barnier, the development of a Social Business Initiative will aim to contribute to the development of socially responsible businesses in the single market. Euclid Network, in partnership with MOUVES and the Social Innovation Coalition, is advising the European Commission, in particular DG Markt and the respective Cabinet of Commissioner Barnier, on this development. Filippo Addarii, Euclid Network’s Executive Director, has been selected as a member of the new Commission Group of Experts (Groupe d'Experts de la Commission sur l'entrepreneuriat social – ‘GECES') for Commissioner Barnier's Social Business Initiative. Filippo's consultation was submitted to the European Commission and can be found below.

Feedback to the Commission on the European Social Business Initiative

 

 

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Consultation Paper on CSO in development

Deadline: 7 May 2012

Development is at the heart of the EU’s external action. The overarching objective of EU development policy is the eradication of poverty in the context of sustainable development.

Focus of the consultation is on a number of issues high on the agenda of the current international debate where your views are of particular importance. They relate to CSOs' roles in contributing to pro-poor policies and in making the management of public affairs more transparent and effective. They also address the conditions necessary for CSOs to work in this direction.

EN's response to the consultation

 

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Consultation on the Partnership Agreement for Structural and Cohesion Funds

Deadline: 27th April 2012

BIS has launched an informal consultation on the Partnership Agreement for Structural and Cohesion Funds (European Regional Development Funds and European Social Funds), Rural Development Funds and Maritime and Fisheries Funds for 2014-2020. The aim of this consultation is to explore how we can more effectively deliver these Funds in England.

To give an idea of scale in 2007-2013, England was allocated around £8 billion in total for these four Funds.

View the consultation here

 

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Consultation on late payments from the European Commission

 

Deadline: 30 January 2010

Under the new Lisbon Treaty, individual citizens and organisations will have the opportunity to put initiatives to the EC directly as part of the European citizens' initiative designed to give citizens a stronger voice.

The EC has opened a public consultation in order to seek the views of all interested parties on how the citizens' initiative should work in practice.

Summary of the European Citizens Initiative

EN's response to the consultation

 

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Europe 2020 Strategy

Deadline: 15 January 2010

In presenting his programme for the new Commission, President Barroso set out his vision for where the European Union should be in 2020. He believes that the exit from the current crisis should be the point of entry into a new sustainable social market economy, a smarter, greener economy where our prosperity will result from innovation and from using resources better, and where knowledge will be the key input. To make this transformation happen, Europe needs a common agenda: the EU 2020 strategy.

The EC has launched a consultation on its draft strategy, Europe 2020. This is the successor to the Lisbon Strategy which has been the EU's reform strategy for the last decade, and will be approved at the spring meeting of the European Council. Full details of the consultation can be found here.

This consultation is crucial because it will influence the strategy of the EU for the coming years. Euclid Network asked members for input in December 2009, and produced the following draft response. We would like to hear from members again before the consultation deadline on 15 January, in order to ensure that their views are reflected accurately.

Europe 2020 consultation: Euclid Network's draft response

 

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Review of the Financial regulation

Deadline: October 2009

The EC ran a consultation on the review of its financial regulation - the stringent rules that governs all grants and contracts awarded worldwide.

EN submitted a response which was the result of an internal consultation with its members. As the chair of DG Education and Culture's (DG EAC) civil society working group on European funding, the results that we produced from our own consultation featured prominently in a final report produced by the working group that was also submitted to the consultation.

Both reports feautred 10 recommendations on how to make European funding work for civil society. The recommendations were the result of several months of meetings and discussions, as well as EN's own consultation.

Euclid Network's recommendations based on the internal consultation

Final report submitted by the DG EAC civil society working group

 

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The European Foundation Statute

Deadline: May 2009

The European Foundation Statute (EFS) has been proposed as a legal tool designed to help foundations and funders who conduct trans-national activities and have assets across Europe. The EFS would complement existing national legislations, would mainly be governed by European law and would only ‘apply to foundations pursuing a public benefit purpose'. The Statute would not only help existing foundations expand, it would also encourage the creation of new foundations at a European level.

Letter of support for the European Foundation Statute consultation

• Have you ever encountered difficulties moving to another EU country?
• Have you ever had problems when trying to shop online from another EU country?
• In what kind of Union would you like to live in 2020?