At EU level, civil dialogue – the regular, structured, and meaningful interaction between institutions and civil society organisations – is outlined in the Treaty on European Union under article 11.2. However, its implementation is still limited, inconsistent and often on an ad-hoc basis.
The EU Strategy for Civil Society includes 10 guiding principles on civil dialogue between the Commission and civil society. Complementing this, the Civil Society Platform will be a practical application of dialogue with organisations working on democracy, rule of law, equality, and fundamental rights. With these ambitions in place, how can we best implement the 10 principles to guarantee that civil dialogue is practiced meaningfully?
That’s where our Action Plan on Civil Dialogue comes in. Developed with our Working Group on Civic Space and Fundamental Rights, we consider how each of these principles can best be implemented across the different structures of the Commission, while suggesting concrete proposals for their application.
These principles provide a necessary framework but need careful consideration. Across all principles, we need to remember and pay attention to those underrepresented in EU policymaking, while addressing any barriers to participation.