Citizenship and Governance: Introduction
Since its creation in 1990, ECAS has contributed to the debate about how to bring the EU closer to the citizen. There are distinct phases and themes in the slow process of EU reform:
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Transparency was the buzz word after the difficult passage of the Maastricht Treaty at the beginnining of the 90's. It is in fashion again after the "no" votes in France and the Netherlands with the European transparency initiative |
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Governance broadened the debate with a white paper on this theme and ECAS playing an active part in helping to shape the follow-up consultation standards |
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Participatory democracy as expressed in article 47 of the draft constitutional treaty involving closer links to civil society and citizens initiatives is the idea behind the White paper on a European Communication policy and plan D proposed by the Commission and its Vice-President , Margot Wallstrom |
ECAS has participated in the debates with two publications:
50 Questions and Answers on the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe (download here  )
25 Questions and Answers on What Ways Out of the Constitutional Labyrinth (download here )
Mario Monti, then chairman, participated in several meetings in 2005 in countries holding or planning a referendum. Paradoxically, many of the concerns about the remoteness of the EU from the citizen and which led many to vote "no"are met in part one of the text and a legally binding charter of fundamental rights.
CITIZENSHIP
Could "civis europaeus sum" be the answer? ECAS has made a proposal to set up a forum to reconsider the concept of European citizenship 15 years after its inclusion as article 18 in the Treaty at Maastricht.The theme has been discussed at several ECAS conferences.
You should find the following publication useful:
Rethinking European Citizenship (download here ). This collection of essays by leading academics was sent to members of the convention which drafted the constitutional treaty. It makes a plea for a more inclusive citizenship based not only on nationality but also residence and a broader citizenship not just limited to free movement rights.This publication contains a blue print: the way ECAS would see citizenship in a new Treaty.
Report from the seminar on European citizenship "Preparing Cindarella" (download here ) held in May 2006.This event revealed that article 18 is no "Cinderella" but has been given real substance by recent judgements of the European Court of Justice.The case law of the court provides advice services and lawyers with similar arguments to defend rights to free movement and equal treatment that they may one day derive from a binding charter of fundamental rights. The ECJ is shifting the balance towards the European citizen.
Alternative on European Citizenship (download here )
If only the other EU Institutions treated people as European citizens. This is why ECAS launched a petition asking the European Parliament to take the initiative.The petition was available in several languages. A question and answer document explained what it was about.
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