THE BIG STAGE OF EU POLITICS

Your issue: a European one?

The European Union deals with many things. Some may say too many – and according to others, too few. But independently of that important discussion, the EU has a clear list of policy issues (based on its treaties and agreed by all Member States) that it deals with, either as exclusive, shared or supporting competences. So when you want to address an issue of any kind, check the possible European nature of your idea/concern first. It may turn out to be an issue that could be dealt with more efficiently at the local, regional or national level instead.

Your moment: the right time to get active?

Timing is critical when it comes to successfully making your voice heard. You may arrive on the scene too early and nobody will notice – or you may be far too late and the decisions will already have been taken. But in between there is a big window of opportunity to become active. For example, if you want to launch a rather new idea, it will take a lot of patience and resources to get attention and a response, but you are relatively free to choose the right time for action. However, if you want to influence ongoing public discussions at the EU level on a certain issue, you need to check what stage the debate has reached in the (legislative) process. EUR-LEX is a very useful public website for this purpose. The European Commission`s Have your say portal is also designed to gather views at every stage of the legislative procedure. Choosing your moment also has implications for the kind of partners you need and which participatory instrument you go for.

Your team: collective action ahead?

Addressing a European issue at the European level will in most cases require a solid partnership with other citizens and/or civil society organisations. The simple reason for this is that you need to convince many others first (both other EU citizens, but also people in elected bodies and EU institutions) before you can make an impact. However, sometimes even strong and committed individual action can make a difference: this is especially the case if you are the victim of maladministration, if you see your rights infringed or if you are simply able to pinpoint an issue of concern for the general public. On the other hand, it may be a really good idea to reach out as far and as transnationally as possible, since your issue/proposal/idea will be met with greater interest and respect by the EU institutions if there is a truly European team of active citizens behind it. In the case of the European Citizens’ Initiative, for instance, there is even a requirement for your team to be composed of at least seven EU citizens from at least seven different EU Member States.

Your tool: which form of participation?

Choosing the best available participatory instrument for your issue is paramount for success. Most tools are designed to be handled by several citizens together (or even civil society organisations) but can also be used by individual citizens, such as launching a complaint to the Ombudsman, addressing a cross-border issue with the online problem solving network SOLVIT or petitioning the European Parliament.

Other participatory instruments, however, require collective action from the outset, such as the European Citizens’ Initiative. What makes things easier is the very fact that, in most cases participatory projects at EU level can be managed online - although, while you can make your voice heard without the need to buy stamps, you may need to travel at some point, maybe to Brussels to meet with an institutional representative or to a village across the border where you have supporting partners.