Purpose:
The project was geared towards enhancing the knowledge and debate about the European integration project and the role of citizens. Through research and debate within and beyond the EPIN network, the partners in the project intended to strengthen their mutual cooperation in EPIN, advance a broader understanding of the challenges and opportunities to enhance participatory and representative democracy and accountability in the EU, and contributed to the quest for a stronger citizens’ union “Towards a Citizens’ Union” (2CU).
2CU fostered the dialogue between the academic world and policy-makers and to build bridges between different communities. The defined target group captured a wide cross-section of interlocutors, e.g. other think tankers, academics, politicians, national and EU-level policy-makers, representatives of civil society organisations (CSOs), and journalists.
The project’s objectives were:
– To inform and influence national and EU-level debates about the citizens’ union
– To advance knowledge and experience of (young) researchers
– To advance the study area at (inter)national level
Its activities included:
- Organizing research workshops to simulate negotiations in the 3 key subject areas, “researchers-meet-EU policy-makers” seminars to gain feedback, and public outreach events to stimulate debate in capitals across Europe.
- Producing a series of policy briefs, published online and disseminated widely (3 policy briefs per partner), as well as a final report synthesising findings and offering policy recommendations.
The project has been carried out by a consortium of National partners:
- Austria – Österreichische Gesellschaft für Europapolitik (Austrian Society for European Politics)
- Belgium – Centre for European Policy Studies (project leader)
- Belgium – Carnegie Europe
- Bulgaria – Centre for Liberal Strategies
- Bulgaria – European Institute
- Czech Republic – Institute of International Relations (Ústav mezinárodních vztahů)
- Denmark – Think Tank EUROPA
- Finland – Finnish Institute of International Affairs
- Germany – Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik
- Greece – Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy
- Italy – Istituto Affari Internazionali
- Latvia – Centre for Public Policy PROVIDUS
- Latvia – Latvian Institute of International Affairs
- Poland – Institute of Public Affairs
- Poland – WiseEuropa
- Romania – European Institute of Romania
- Slovakia – Slovak Foreign Policy Association
- Spain – Real Instituto Elcano (Elcano Royal Institute)
- Spain – Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (Centre for International Information and Documentation in Barcelona)
- United Kingdom – Centre for European Reform
Duration of the project: 1/09/2017 – 31/08/2020
Financing: co-funded by Erasmus+ programme (Jean Monnet Networks – policy debate with the academic world).
Research team: For the project Towards a Citizens’ Union, the team proposed by EIR includes the following experts from the European Studies Unit
- Mihai Sebe, senior researcher and coordinator of the project
- Bogdan Mureșan, researcher
- Eliza Vaș, researcher
About EPIN:
The European Policy Institute Network (EPIN) was set up in 2002, as a network of the most dynamic policy institutes and think-tanks focused on debates on European policies and EUs future. The European Institute of Romania has been, even from the start, a full member of EPIN.
For further details see the EPIN website and the CEPS Brussels website.