Open letter from Environmental Civil Society Organisations to the European Commission

In light of questions raised in the European Parliament’s Budgetary Control (CONT) Committee on EU funding of civil society, 31 organisations, including Fern, have issued an open letter to the European Commission to stress that civil society engagement is not only essential for Europe’s future, strong public participation and the resilience of European democracy, but is also a legal requirement under the Treaties and the Aarhus Convention.

Furthermore, it supports the EU’s commitments made collectively by the European Commission, European Parliament and the Council to living well within planetary boundaries, and strengthens the European Project.

The signatories represent significantly more than fifty million citizens involved in environmental organisations and have, over the past decades, constructively engaged in the development and implementation of EU policies. This has included participation in EU consultations, expert groups and structured dialogues organised by the EU institutions, raising awareness and channelling citizen concerns to decision makers. Through these activities, the signatories have exercised the right to public participation in environmental decision-making and upheld the European institution’s obligation to maintain a transparent dialogue with civil society, while respecting the diversity of perspectives across stakeholders.

A thriving democracy requires infrastructure and resources that allow citizens’ voices to reach decision-makers. Unlike resource-rich actors such as foreign governments, multinational corporations, and business associations, European citizens and their civil society organisations and wider non-governmental organisations often lack adequate resources to be present in public dialogues at the European level. As a result, they require EU support to ensure a more level playing field, and the EU has facilitated this by offering operating grants, and by making EU-funded projects accessible to civil society.

Read the letter

Categoria: NGO Statements