Powerpoint presentation Plan EU: introduction to the EU institutions and what you can do in the lobby trajectory.

1. Youth in Action

2. AGENDA
 Introduction to the European Union
 European institutions
 EU’s role in development
 The Cotonou Partnership
 How to advocate in the EU

4. Candidate Countries
Croatia
Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia
Turkey
Potential Candidate
Countries
Albania
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Montenegro
Serbia including Kosovo under
UN Security Council
Resolution 1244

5. Introduction to the European
Union
 The EU in a nutshell
 27 member states (MS) and a population of over 500
million (USA = 312 million)
 In 2007, around 96 million young people aged
between 15 and 29 years
 Young people represent about 20% of the EU
population
 This means the EU is also YOU

6. What is the Motto of the European
Union?
a) United in prosperity (wealth)
b) United in austerity (saving)
c) United in diversity

7. The institutions of the EU
The
The European
European
Parliament
Commisson
(EP)
(EC)
The Council of The
the European European
Union (The
Council
Council)

9. The European Parliament
 Directly elected by the citizens of Europe in elections
every 5 years
 753 Members (MEPs):
www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/search.html
 MEPs sit in the plenary according to political groups
not national groups
 20 committees + extra sub-committees in Brussels
prepare the work of the plenary sessions
 Vote in Plenary in Strasburg and Brussels

10. The European Parliament
EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT
POWERS
BUDGETARY SUPERVISORY
POWER POWER
LEGISLATIVE
POWER

11. An MEP can help you put
your topic on the EU
agenda!

12. The European Parliament
Which committees work on your issue?
 Development; Chaired by Ms. Eva Joly
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/performsearch.h
tml
 Woman’s rights and gender equality; Chaired by Mr.
Mikael Gustafsson
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/performsearch.h
tml
 Employment and social affairs; Chaired by Ms.
Pervenche Berès
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/performsearch.h
tml

13. When will the next European
Parliament elections take place?
a) 2013
b) 2014
c) 2015

14. The European Commission
 The main executive body of the EU
 Led by a President nominated by the European Council
every 5 years
 25 EU Commissioners
 Each is responsible for a specific area (e.g. Development
Cooperation, Trade)
 Selected by the president , but must be approved by the
Council and the EP
 José Manuel Barosso (Portugal) is the current President
(2009-2014)

15. The European Commission
GUARDIAN
RIGHT OF
OF THE
INITIATIVE
TREATIES
EUROPEAN
COMMISSION
FUNCTIONS
MANAGES RESPONSIBLE FOR
EU IMPLEMENTATION
RESOURCES OF EC LAW
REPRESENTS
THE EU ON
INTERNATIONAL
STAGE

16. The European Commission
Who works on development?
 EuropeAid Development and Cooperation (DEVCO)
 Responsible for designing EU development policies and
delivering aid through programmes and projects across the
world
 Commissioner Andris Piebalgs (Latvia)
 Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO)
 Responsible for providing emergency assistance and relief to
the victims of natural disasters or armed conflict outside the
EU
 Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva (Bulgaria)

17.  European Commission’s page for the Youth:
http://ec.europa.eu/youth/index_en.htm
 Barroso calls for using 82 billion euro unspent funds to
help job creation
http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/barroso-
calls-for-unspent-funds-to-help-job-creation-/73437.aspx
 Youth opportunities initiative (video on youth
employment):
http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/video/player.cfm?ref=I073435
&sitelang=en

18. Questions?

19. How many stars does the European
flag have?
a) 12
b) 15
c) 25

20. EU’s role in Development
The fundamental principles guiding EC
development effort
 Poverty reduction
 Coordination and complementarily between the EU
and member states
 Coherence between the EU’s development objectives
and its external policies which would affect developing
countries like Ghana or Cameroon

21. The Cotonou Partnership
Agreement
 Is an agreement between the EU and 79 African, Caribbean
and Pacific (ACP) countries, including Ghana, Sierra Leone
and Cameroon
 Main aims:
 Reduce poverty
 Include non state actors (NGOs like Plan) in aid policy
 Reinforce economic- and trade partnerships
 Aid to the ACP countries is funded through the European
Development Fund (EDF)
 Is important for you: you write to your government to
remind them of the objectives of this agreement and their
responsibilities!

22. The Cotonou Partnership
Agreement
Article 26
…cooperation shall support policies, measures and
operations aimed at:
b) promoting the skills, energy, innovation and
potential of youth in order to enhance their
economic, social and cultural opportunities and
enlarge their employment opportunities in
the productive sector;

23. How many Europeans participate personally in
helping poor countries either by donating money
or volunteering in relevant organisations?
a) 22 %
b) 30%
c) 41%

24. How to Advocate in the EU
 What is the problem you want to address?
 How is the problem relevant to you?
 How is the EU part of the solution to your problem?
 Which concrete changes in policy and/or practice do
you want to achieve?

26. How to influence EU Policy and Practice
 Raising your issues with EU Lawmakers
 Other advocacy opportunities

27. Influencing EU Legislation
 Legislation concerning cooperation with third
countries is adopted through the ordinary legislative
procedure (Co-decision):
 Starts with a legislative proposal from the Commission to the
Council and the EP
 The proposal is debated, amended and eventually adopted by
the EP and the Council

28. Influencing the Commission?
 Identify who will be responsible for drafting the legislative
proposal in the Commission(which Directorate General
(DG), which Unit and what officials)
 For youth employment within Europe: DG Employment, Social
Affairs and Inclusion (Directorate C Europe 2020: Employment
policies , Unit C3, M. Uebe)
 For employment in development cooperation: Directorate General
for Development and Cooperation (EuropeAid, DEVCO D.
Human and Society development, Unit D3, H. Bourgade)
 Build alliances with other likeminded NGOs and network
with established NGO networks in Brussels to raise
awareness of your issues
 e.g. Youth Employment Action (YEA):
www.youthemploymentaction.org/

29. Influencing the European
Parliament
Make a mapping of important MEPs for The
Netherlands and Lithuania (see link to relevant
committees above)
Network with influential MEPs and your
national Permanent Representation to the EU

30. Influencing the European
Parliament
Who else to target at the EP
 Rapporteur: The MEP responsible for drafting a
committee’s report
 E.g. Dutch MEP Marije Cornelissen was rapporteur for the report on employment
and social aspects in the Annual Growth Survey 2012, which also stresses the need
to tackle youth unemployment
 Shadow Rapporteurs: MEPs from a different
political group who shadow the drafting of the
report
 Political advisers

31. Influencing MEPs
 Target your national MEPs
 Find out their interests (search for their parliamentary
questions and reports)
 Meet them face to face
 Use clear messages and impressive facts and statistics
 Share the newest relevant research/reports
 Establish yourself as the expert
 Try to win over their assistant
 Provide, concise, relevant and to the point information
about your project and goals with clear advice on what you
want them to do

32. Other Advocacy opportunities
 Outside of the EU, you can contact the EU through the EU
Delegation in your country:
http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/web_en.htm
 Written Declaration (WD)
 A WD is a text of a maximum of 200 words on a matter falling
within the European Union’s sphere of activities.
 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) can use WDs to
launch or re-launch a debate on a subject that comes within
the EU’s remit.
 378 out of 756 signatures are required to adopt the text.
 During plenary sessions, MEPs can sign WDs in front of the
chamber

33. Other Advocacy opportunities
 Regional and Country Strategy Papers
 Based on strategy papers and annual action programmes, EU
funding is delivered through budget support, grants and
contracts
 You can assist your partners in the south to influence the
programming of aid through influencing Regional and
Country Strategy Papers e.g. under the Cotonou Partnership

34. TIPS
 Have clear objectives, messages and outcomes
 Identify the institution in charge and your key targets
 Establish your organisation as “youth on the field”
 Use your own government as first contact
 Network for collective influencing
 Use MEPs friendly to your cause
 Build key contacts in Brussels institutions and among the
NGOs

35. How many official languages are
there in the EU?
a) 20
b) 23
c) 27

36. Q&A