The project has 3 main objectives:

• to educate European citizens and civil society actors in the processes through which the policies of the EU take form, and in communications strategies for advocating for EU policies, and spreading ownership of EU policymaking among EU citizens. 
• to raise awareness among the publics in EU members and prospective member countries around the need for citizens’ engagement to ensure their elected representatives and governments fully engage at the EU level in achieving policy decisions that meet the needs of their citizens.
• to strengthen citizens’ engagement in the policy process ahead of the European Parliament elections in 2014.

The project will conduct a baseline study on 11 new EU member states’ level of integration and engagement in EU decision-making, including opinion polls on citizens’ knowledge of EU policymaking and level of engagement in 4 new member states. A comparative study, focusing on four EU member states and two prospective members will be published. Citizens’ taskforces in 4 countries will be established to debate the findings of the studies, as well as identifying the strengths and weakness of their governments in engaging in EU policymaking. To strengthening citizens’ engagement, national roundtables and media outreach will be conducted around greater governmental and citizens’ engagement in European integration.

Partners: Policy Association for an Open Society in Czech Republic; Institute of Public Affairs in Poland; European Institute in Bulgaria; Center for Democracy and Human Rights, Montenegro; Center for Euro-Atlantic Studies, Serbia

For more information, please visit the website of the main partner Policy Association for an Open Society.

Project implemented with financial support from the Europe for Citizens Programme of the European Union and with financial support from State budget programme 2014-2016, administrated by Society Integration Foundation.