Civil Society Dialogue
Giving everyone a voice in EU enlargement
The continuing enlargement of the EU offers many advantages. It is a process that strengthens the unity of the European continent, enhances peace, stability and security, and brings new prosperity.
Enlargement, however, is not an automatic process. One of the lessons that can be drawn from previous enlargements is that citizens need to be better informed and prepared. It is necessary to involve citizens to bring them closer to each other and help them learn about different cultures, political and economic systems. In this way, the opportunities and the challenges of enlargement can be more fully understood.
Involving civil society
The idea of a ‘civil society dialogue’ was first proposed by the European Commission in October 2004 and endorsed by the European Council on 17 December 2004:
“Parallel to accession negotiations, the Union will engage with every candidate state in an intensive political and cultural dialogue. With the aim of enhancing mutual understanding by bringing people together, this inclusive dialogue also will involve civil society.”
The objectives of civil society dialogue, which also embraces the Western Balkans, are to:
- strengthen mutual exchange of experience between civil society in EU and the candidate countries;
- help bridge the information gap;
- generate mutual knowledge and understanding; and
- ensure a stronger awareness of the opportunities and challenges of future accessions.
A vibrant civil society is important in any democratic society… [There is a] need to foster the broadest possible consensus among not just the political class, but the population as a whole…. This is a major task. It requires politicians but also other representative voices of civil society like NGOs, churches and academia, to play a clear role".
European Commission President José Manuel Barroso,
Belgrade, 16 February 2006
The enlargement of the European Union to 27 Member States has increased the multicultural character of Europe, adding to the number of languages, religions, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Intercultural dialogue has become an integral part of the European identity and citizenship.
The 2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (EYID) is celebrated in Turkey under the umbrella of the Civil Society Dialogue.
Key Links
