Civil Society Europe (CSE) is a partner in “EnTrust – Enlightened Trust”, a multidisciplinary and international research project dedicated to providing novel insights into trust and distrust in governance and measures to support sustainable and democratic societies in Europe.

This training manual aims to contribute to developing a culture of civil dialogue in EU public officials, by providing trainers with exercises to raise awareness about its importance and effectively implement the principles of civil dialogue and citizens’ accessibility to EU policy-making. The publication is aimed at those who seek to prepare a training session on civil dialogue for public officials and policy-makers at the European level. The trainers, therefore, can be members of civil society organisations (CSOs), public officials from outreach units, as well as policy-makers’ assistants and advisors to policy-makers.

The Integrated Policy Paper aims to present the policy recommendations stemming from the research streams explored by the EnTrust team. The document is based on the findings and recommendations presented in the project’s seven European Policy Briefs (PBs), built on the team’s research and enriched by roundtable discussions with stakeholders. The paper gives a holistic overview of the findings of the EnTrust research as presented in the PBs, and then provides twelve overarching recommendations stemming from them.

This report analyses the role, current state, and opportunities surrounding trust and distrust in the interaction between CSOs and EU governance. It explores the evolution of civil society’s involvement in EU governance from a constitutional, legislative, and regulatory perspective, analyses the origins and conditions of (dis)trust in EU institutions, and examines the status of trustworthy civil dialogue at EU and national levels. Finally, it offers evidence-based recommendations to strengthen trust and foster meaningful civil society engagement within EU governance structures.

This policy brief examines the role of civil society organisations in EU policy-making, provides insights into the conditions of trust and mistrust between civil society organisations and the EU institutions, and makes recommendations for establishing a genuine civil dialogue at the European level.

The EnTrust 7 Policy Briefs (PBs) address the main findings of the project’s research and provide evidence-based policy recommendations regarding current policy debates around trust and distrust in governance, civil society and the future of democracy in Europe. The PBs were prepared by CSE on the basis of the research work packages conducted by the EnTrust consortium.

The EnTrust wiki is a collaborative website that aims to interactively present how the EU institutions work and how activists can concretely participate in EU policymaking. The website is structured in 8 interactive modules, each with learning outcomes, a glossary, policy recommendations, an interactive quiz, and resources to further delve into the topic. 

This contest called on young people aged 13-19 living in Europe to share their visions for the future of Europe in a creative format. The contest aimed to encourage European youth to think about the future of Europe, how Europe can better meet their needs and their attitudes towards European governments and institutions.

This debate delved into the (dis)trust relationship between civil society organisations and EU institutions, and the topic of creating a civil dialogue for EU policymaking. With the participation of decision-makers and CSOs’ representatives, the event presented the EnTrust findings and policy recommendations, as well as a balance of the training manual on civil dialogue.

The conference explored in three parallel workshops key dimensions of trust and distrust between citizens and institutions based on the findings of 4 years of research. The event gathered practitioners and researchers to discuss the outcomes of the project and further avenues for practice-oriented research.