SURVEY ON THE PROPOSAL TO CREATE A EUROPEAN CIVIL SOCIETY HOUSE

Dears,

Before responding to this survey, we would be grateful if you could read the summary which provides a brief overview of the project.  The aim is to set up a European Civil Society House for both CSOs and citizens.  This European public sphere will be primarily “virtual” with access to help desks from anywhere in the Union, supported by bringing together a group of like-minded European NGOs in a “real” house in Brussels and providing facilities in Europe across EU member states and beyond.  The main function would be to act as an intermediary between the EU Institutions and citizens and a resource centre in three main areas reflected in this questionnaire:

 

  • Citizens Rights:  Beyond basic information, providing active advice and help to people enforcing their European rights and following up their complaints, petitions or requests to the European Ombudsman, or citizens’ initiatives (the one million signatures)

 

  • Civil Society Development: Bringing together a group of European Associations to strengthen their capacity whilst providing better access and facilities to deal with the EU for national and regional organisations

 

  • Citizen Participation:  Providing support for citizens’ consultations, other forms of deliberation.

 

We would be grateful if you could forward this questionnaire to your network.  The more people respond the better.

 

Questionnaire results are available only to the author

About Yourself (Name, organisation, contact details)

2. What is the extent of your organisation's involvement in European Affairs?

3. In what order of importance would you rank the following 3 subjects? (1-3, 1 being the most important, 3 being the least important, please only use each number once)

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1. Citizens’ rights and better enforcement
2. Civil Society Development and the EU
3. Citizen Participation

4. Which of the following services would you consider most important to obtain or least wanted in your country (please rank 1-9, 1 being the most important)

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CR1. Advice about European citizens’ rights and their enforcement
CR2. Help in formulating complaints or petitions, particularly collective appeals and following them up with national or EU authorities
CR3. Help desk for promoters on European citizens’ initiatives on legal, campaigning and technical issues
CS4. Create a resource centre on European civil society
CS5. Coalition building for European projects and advocacy
CS6. European funding advice and assistance with filling in applications
CP7. Encourage more citizen and civil society participation in EU consultations and European policy-making of the governments
CP8. Create a clearing house on techniques of citizen deliberations and democratic participation
CP9. Provide a meeting place between civil society and national authorities on European policy-making

5. In what order of importance would you rank offering the following facilities at a European civil society house in Brussels? (rank 1-5, 1 being most important and 5 being least important, please only use each number once)

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1. Resource centre on civil society in Europe
2. Providing a desk and support services in Europe for visiting organisations
3. Meeting room facilities for CSOs and citizens
4. Training courses
5. Other

6. What aspects of this project, in your opinion would be most advantageous for national governments and the EU Institutions seeking to improve access for citizens to European affairs? (Please rank 1-4, 1 being most important)

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1. Resource centre on civil society with a database for organisations which can be consulted or invited to events
2. Support to citizens so that their requests and complaints are better directed and easier to handle
3. An intermediary organisation to support citizens initiatives (the 1 million signatures) and citizens deliberations
4. Other (please specify in 11 column)

7. Looking back over your answers, do you think it is a good idea to create the European Civil society House in your country?

8. Could you please comment on areas where you feel that citizen and civil society input to European policy-making in your country is: 1) adequate input and 2) missing/weak input?

9. Would you like to be kept informed of future developments on this project?

10. Would you like to become actively involved and discuss possible cooperation or partnership with us?

Your comments: