Conclusions and recommendations

Conference of the Civil Society Organisations' Group on 'Building Together the EU We Want'

16 April 2024

Why the 2024 elections to the European Parliament matter: the EU at a turning point

• The 2024 elections to the European Parliament coincide with a tumultuous period of immediate and long-term challenges, which question both the ethos and identity of the European Union (EU);
• For a political project built on the promise of peace, war on the European continent has questioned existing and future EU policy priorities, raised political questions surrounding the security and defence of the EU and negatively reverberated across the entire global geo-political spectrum;
• Faced with a multitude of additional challenges spanning the socio-economic, climatic, digital, demographic and democratic spheres, as well as questions over internal reform and EU enlargement, the Union needs to urgently prioritise among its policies, engaging in an open and realistic discussion on trade-offs between policies;
• Failure to engage in this process could lead to increasing distrust and creeping disunity within the EU, directly undermining its levels of ambition during the next legislature;
• In this context, it is imperative that during the pre-election period, national and European Members of Parliament both actively listen to and debate these priorities with civil society organisations and citizens;
• All efforts should be taken to divert the political anger felt by voters at the national level, away from extremist parties and towards a re-affirmation of the EU's values, as expressed in Article 2 of the TEU[1];
• Recent Eurobarometer surveys reveal that many Europeans aspire to a more active role for the EU in both their daily lives and in addressing common transnational challenges. However, a perceived gap between expectations and delivery has directly contributed towards citizen alienation from the EU;
• Part of the solution, would be a commitment towards more common EU borrowing and the creation of own EU funds. Both are central to ensuring greater autonomy and rapidity of action by the EU.

Building together the EU we want: a democratic and inclusive EU of social justice and protection

• The EU's commitments to a social and democratic EU of inclusion, diversity, fundamental rights and the rule of law, constitute a beacon of hope for the Union and those residing within it;
• Eurobarometer surveys reveal that respondents prioritise EU action on socio-economic and democratic policy areas, with the fight against poverty and social exclusion repeatedly featuring as the first priority;
• Within this context and in order to increase trust in the EU it is crucial to progress towards visionary and ambitious EU targets, policies and programmes, which respect and value democratic and social priorities at the same level as economic ones;
• Integral to this shift is a move towards a different mind-set - one which recognises measurements beyond GDP as fundamental signs of the health and well-being of European societies;
• Moreover, it is imperative that social investments in health, demography and inter-generational ageing, are prioritised and viewed as  positive investments, rather than as economic costs;
• In order to implement the above, urgent steps should be taken to fully implement the original provisions of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR), ensure more complementarity on social policy between national and EU levels and greater use of binding legislation in the social sphere;
• The Union should strive towards eradicating poverty, including systemic poverty, in work poverty and child poverty;
• Urgent steps need also necessary in order to establish a 'Union of Equality' for all persons and ages. This will necessitate strengthening the existing legal frameworks for anti-discrimination and ensuring full implementation and enforcement;
• In parallel, the incoming European Institutions should prioritise issues of demography and inter-generational justice, helping to improve the welfare state for both younger and older Europeans, as well as strengthening the role of mutual societies;
• To this end, EU funding must be made available to stimulate social investment and the social economy in EU Members States, with a view to fully implementing the Liège Roadmap on the Social Economy for the EU;
• Moreover, it is imperative that that the forthcoming EU Strategic Agenda for 2024-2029 focusses on health, building on progress made under the current mandate and strengthening cooperation to counter the fragmentation within and disparities among national health systems; 
• In order to further highlight the political importance of an inclusive EU of social justice and protection, during the next mandate Vice-Presidents to the European Commission responsible for Health, Jobs and Social Rights should be appointed.

Building together the EU we want: a sustainable economy based on fair transitions and quality jobs

• With crises becoming more common in the EU, reform the Union's economic system is required in order to better manage and integrate repetitive crises;
• The first step in this process, is to re-examine the ambition and investments of the Union in the green, digital and demographic transitions. Vast amounts of additional funding are required, in order to ensure just transitions (education, re-skilling, upskilling, healthcare, etc.) and the creation of new and decent jobs;
• In relation to the green transition, there has been too little delivery and too slowly. Existing policies must be reviewed and new ones designed, in order to avoid both political and policy regression;
• Moreover, the green transition is dominated by a negative narrative focussing on short term costs. This must be countered by a more positive approach focussing on opportunities, long-term benefits and the recognition of the higher costs of inaction;
• To this end, it is essential that sustainable options are available, affordable and easily identified by citizens, with accessible investment for all;
• In particular, the farming sector and rural areas in the EU, are in urgent need of reinvigoration. Many more young farmers are necessary, who should be supported by additional funding to compete on the global market, capacity-building, education and training, notably on digitalisation;
• Regrettably, the farming sector is plagued by its low position in the societal value chain. It is of paramount importance to hold an open discussion on the role of agriculture in European societies and on how to best implement its role;
• With regard to European SMEs, significant regulatory and financing challenges exist, hindering them from innovating and creating more jobs. Overall, the EU would benefit from revised fiscal rules to allow for greater investment. Progressive taxation systems targeting big business would also contribute to paying for the just transitions.

Placing civil society, citizens and youth at the centre of the Europe of tomorrow

• The upcoming elections to the European Parliament should give voters a sense of belonging and hope for the future. Regrettably, many European citizens believe that the EU is only for the few;
• It is the role of civil society organisations (CSOs) to engage with citizens, assisting them to better understand the EU and helping to place citizens at the centre of both the EU electoral process and the Union of tomorrow;
• It is crucial to establish virtuous circles of dialogue between representative democracy, the EU executive, CSOs and citizens, during the formulation, implementation and follow-up of all EU policies;
• This implies ensuring an open, transparent, regular and structured civil dialogue with representative associations of civil society, as stipulated in the Open Letter to the Presidents of the European Institutions[2];
• Meaningful and structured civil dialogue would complement social dialogue, not replace it. Moreover, it would allow CSOs to carry out their role in defending democracy, the rule of law and civic spaces, in maintaining the EU's unique socio-economic model and in promoting sustainable growth, social cohesion and inclusiveness;
• Youth organisations should play a vital role in civil dialogue, helping design an EU fit for future generations. It is essential to involve youth organisations more in policy-formulation, implementation and monitoring. The proposed youth check and youth test are very commendable steps in this direction