THE 'EUROPE FOR CITIZENS' PROGRAMMES AND PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY

The operative agency for the 'Europe for Citizens' programmes is the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). While the agency has its own legal entity, it reports to three Directorates-General of the European Commission: Education and Culture (EAC), Communication (COMM) and EuropeAid Cooperation Office.

Among the number of fields in which the European Union intervenes there is the aim to make European citizens informed, acknowledged and aware of the role they can play in the European construction. For this purpose, the European Commission supports projects and organisations aimed at these goals.

In the area of Public Policy Advocacy which is our focus, we note with great interest that the EU's priorities include:

• An understanding of the EU policy-making process and societal engagement and volunteering at Union level,
• Encouraging people to participate in civic fora on EU policies and issues.

Participative democracy is a way of involving citizens in policy-making processes and encourage bottom up strategies. Today public action is taking into account a various ranges of actors, including public private bodies, regulation authorities, expertise agencies and citizens. All over Europe, it has become common to ask the opinions of citizens and groups of citizens through specific processes. A number of urban planning projects are now necessarily submitted to local citizens consultations, and it is more and more the case in other topics such as environment, education, social care etc.

Among citizens' rights linked to public policy advocacy are:

1. The right of petition: The right to petition allows citizens to raise their concerns or complaints with the European Parliament. Citizens can ask the Parliament to address either a personal need or grievance, or a matter of public interest, provided the subject falls within the EU's sphere of activity, and concern them directly.
2. The right to complain to the Ombudsman: For grievances concerning 'mal-administration' by an Eu institution or body, citizens can complain to the Ombudsman. They can also contact EU institutions and advisory bodies directly, and they are entitled to receive a reply in any of the EU's 24 official languages.
3. The right to ask the Commission to propose new legislation: The European Citizens' Initiative allows citizens to ask the European Commission to prepare a proposal for a legal act. The petition must be signed by at least 1 million citizens from at least one quarter of EU countries (7 member states).

2013 was declared the Year of European Citizens with the objective to raise awareness about how EU citizens can tangibly benefit from European Union rights and also about the policies and programmes that exist to help people exercise them, stimulate and strengthen civic and democratic participation by EU citizens, notably civic fora on EU policies and the European Parliament elections in 2014.

It is our view that our Year for Interest Representation in Europe-2014 reinforces the objectives set forth in the 'Europe for Citizens' Programme. In 2014 a new round will start for the next 7 years. Although some of the actions will be reshaped, the Europe for Citizens' Programme should not undergo any major changes apart from the two priorities defined above as regards public policy advocacy. A great emphasis will be placed on initiatives that stimulate debate, reflection and cooperation that contribute to citizens understanding of the European Union. The aim is to foster European citizenship and encourage civic participation at the Union level. Indeed our Year for Interest Representation in Europe-2014 is directly aligned with this objective.

AALEP will contact all European for Citizens points for help in dissemination about the Year for Interest Representation in Europe-2014.