POLITICAL FOUNDATIONS AT EU LEVEL (PFELs)

A Political Foundation at European level (PFEL) is defined as an entity or network of entities which has legal personality in a Member State, is affiliated with a political party at European level, and which through its activities, within the aims and fundamental values pursued by the European Union, underpins and complements the objectives of the political party at European level.  The most important entity with which a PFEL cooperates and has relations is clearly the affiliated political party at European level. The affiliated party, however, is not the only entity with which they cooperate and have relations. A political foundation also has relations with other actors including for example the other PFELs, national foundations, think tanks, and NGOs.

 Prime Tasks

1. Observing, analysing and contributing to the debate on European public policy issues and on the process of European integration;
2. Developing activities linked to European public policy issues such as organizing and supporting seminars , training, conferences and studies on such issues between relevant stakeholders, including youth organizations and other representatives of civil society;
3. Developing cooperation with entities of the same kind in order to promote democracy;
4. Serving as a framework for national political foundations, academics, and other relevant actors to work together at European level.

Fundamentally, PFELs express their ideas on public policy issues that they would like to circulate to the public in publications, which summarize these proposals. They also do so through the organization of events, wherein these ideas are discussed with the relevant actors of the European or national public space.

List of PFELS and Grants (2015)

1. Centrum Mauritz Coppetiers : Belgium, Affiliated to European Free Alliance, Grant € 297 500
2. Christian Political Foundation of Europe: Netherlands, Affiliated to European Christian Political Movement, Grant € 266 745
3. European Foundation for Freedom: Malta, Affiliated to European Alliance for Freedom, Grant € 269 956
4. European Liberal Forum: Belgium, Affiliated to Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party, Grant € 984 981
5. Fondation pour une Europe des Nations et des Libertés: France, Affiliated to Mouvement pour une Europe des Nations et des Libertés, Grant € 621677
6. Foundation for a Europe of Liberties and Democracy : France, Affiliated to Movement for a Europe of Liberties and Democracy, Grant € 249 331
7. Foundation for European Progressive Studies: Belgium, Affiliated to Party of European Socialists, Grant € 4 089 429
8. Green European Foundation: Luxembourg, Affiliated to European Green Party, Grant € 945 600
9. Identités & Traditions Européennes: Belgium, Affiliated to European Alliance of National Movements, Grant € 208 411
10. Initiative for Direct Democracy: Belgium, Affiliated to Alliance for Direct Democracy, Grant € 730 053
11. Institute of European Democrats: Belgium, Affiliated to European Democratic Party, Grant € 375 882
12. New Direction- Foundation for European Reform: Belgium, Affiliated to European Conservatives and Reformists, Grant € 1 147 367
13. Organisation for European Interstate Cooperation: Sweden, Affiliated to Europeans United for Democracy Grant € 212 251
14. Transform Europe: Belgium, Affiliated to Party of the European Left, Grant € 904 485
15. Wilfried Martens Center for European Studies: Belgium, Affiliated to European People’s Party, Grant € 4 757 131

Conclusions

Before the establishment of political foundations at European level Europarties lacked the personal and material resources to closely follow medium-and long-term EU policy process. The establishment of PFELs provided Europarties with a means to help fill this gap. Moreover PFELs are for the respective Europarties sources of new ideas that, allow them to become more policy-oriented and to focus on policy-seeking goals. Clearly, the two actors with which the PFELs have stronger links are the Political Parties at European level and the national foundations, which in many cases represent the membership of PFELs. The activities of the PFELs are aimed at underpinning the already existing activities of the PPELs and to give a broad audience, or provide a common policy framework, to activities carried out by national foundations. These activities have already shown the potential to have a positive impact on citizens’ awareness of the EU, particularly among members of the affiliated national foundations and parties.