CITIZENS' PANELS

REPORTS OUTCOMES

ALL.4.EU:Citizens for Europe!

On 7th and 8th of July 2009, project partners and representatives from all citizens’ panels
met in Sofia (Bulgaria) in order to present the first results of their local activities and to
elaborate common opinions and recommendations through the constitution of a transnational
citizens’ panel. The panel discussions showed a general lack of an effective and interactive
institutional communication network with citizens, as also a lack of culture of listening and
respecting the voice of youth.

A lack of tradition and reduced stimulation of citizens in building a democratic society

has been individuated as the actually new challenge for the Istria Region and the whole
Croatian society on the way to Europe during the panel discussion on Youth Activism in Istria
on the way to the EU held on June 3rd 2009 in Pazin (Croatia) by the Region of Istria and the
Foundation for Civil Society Development.

The first “1-day event”, the Europe for citizens: Promotion of Active European
Citizenship was organized on May 14th 2009 in Stara Zagora (Bulgaria) by the Balkan Assist
Association, supported by local partners organizations as Centre for European Initiatives and
Municipality of Razgrad.The key aspects of European citizenship were discussed with the
support of local authorities and the curiosity of the media.

The Municipality of Vejle set the EU-citizens' panel on May 28th 2009 in Bygningen
(Denmark), in a public town building, where the ALL.4.EU was introduced to the participants
through the use of the open space methodology and an asset based approach in order to
make participants the “owners” of the citizen’s panel. Panels activators gave to the
participants useful information introducing them to the project ALL.4.EU, as well as to the EU
funding programs such as Youth Program and Europe for Citizens Program. So the
participants felt the project as an opportunity to express their concerns and doubts regarding
the European Union in general. The creation of a valuable network is the result of another
“1day event” held on June 11th 2009, the EU-citizens' panel – ALL.4.EU, the second meeting
organized by the same municipality. It took place at the Vejle Business College in order to
continue and elaborate the debate that had been initiated on the first meeting.

As a matter of fact, during the ALL.4.EU Public Seminar, held on May 30th 2009 in
Valletta (Malta) by the Local Councils’ Association, the participants wondered how can NGOs
participate in an EU funded project; how can schools and students get involved in; how can a
citizen complain about an environmental issue within the EU institutions and what is the EU
doing in the field of the air pollution; if there are projects for people over the age of 30 years
old and if pensioners can participate in some EU projects.

During the Workshop “Citizens for Europe: To promote an active citizenship” – Set-up
of Local Citizens’ Panels, organized in Arquà Polesine – Rovigo (Italy) on June 11th 2009 by
the Consortium for Development of Polesine (CONSVIPO) and supported by local partner
organizations as Municipalities of Rovigo, Taglio di Po, Polesella, Bosaro, Arquà Polesine
and Ceregnano, from the Province of Rovigo and some secondary schools. The working
groups, where participants were involved by three local networks, gave a definition of
participation and active citizenship defining possible tools to increase it and stimulate
relationships among citizens and institutions. Participants collected needs, proposal and
limits about the active citizenship during a second meeting, The Active citizens - Research
activity at the local level and preparation of the international meeting, organized by

ALL.4.EU:Citizens for Europe!

 CONSVIPO with the support of the Municipality of Rovigo and local secondary schools,
realized on June 25th 2009 in the Grandi Fiumi Museum of Rovigo.

In Zvolen (Slovakia) was held on May 26th 2009 the panel titled Europe for us, we for
Europe organized from the Center for community organizing in cooperation with the
Citizens Initiatives Zvolen – Zapad. Despite some doubts at the beginning of the panel
preparation about willingness of citizens to participate, organizers and activators had been
positively surprised about the number of participants and quality of discussion. This last was
focused in raising awareness about the importance of actively participating in the
construction of Europe, special in participating on European Parliament elections. The
panel resulted with an increased interest of EU issues among young people, an greater
willingness for citizens cooperation and participation.

Below some information about each panel theme, aims, target, methods and conclusions.

Citizens’ Panels in Bulgaria "Europe for citizens: Promotion of Active European

Citizenship "
Date and time 14 May 2009; Place Stara Zagora,Bulgaria

Organization in charge Balkan Assist Local partners
Centre for European Initiatives
Association organizations
Municipality of Razgrad

Description of the modules (aims, target groups, Aims:

methodology…)
General:

to encourage the participation at the local level

to raise awareness about the importance of actively
participating in the construction of Europe

to provide first relevant information on the topic to be
addressed

Specific:

Getting to know the concrete rights of being a EU citizen

Clarifying of the way in which the big EU “machine” works

Suggesting ways of finding partners in EU

Giving ideas of where and how to search for funding for
citizens’ initiatives

Target groups:

Citizens, especially those who would not have spontaneously

participated in projects of a European nature, paying attention
to involve people of different demographic, social and
professional background

Young people

ALL.4.EU:Citizens for Europe!


Local authorities

Civil Society

Methodology:

2 round – tables for active citizens – in Northern and Southern

part of Bulgaria

Presentation of the project

Key aspects of European citizenship were discussed

Local authorities supported the initiatives

Media were curious

Main outcomes and outputs
Pre-elections period

Lack of long-lasting traditions in citizen participation

Variety of projects aiming to “educate” citizens about their
rights and obligations

Economical crisis – people are more interested in their
incomes than in participation

“Europe means money”

“European language is not understandable. What do agenda,
cohesion or beneficiary mean?...”

“The government always says that ‘Brussels’ want us to do
something. When shall we start insisting ‘Brussels’ to do
something for us?”

Impact at the local level
Authorities start to open themselves for citizens. A
transparency program adopted.

A lot of registered NGOs have set citizen participation as a
priority.

Many projects addressing citizen participation have been
realized by local NGOs since 1990. Local authorities have
been involved as partners.

Good practices and examples have been achieved both in the
municipal centre (a big city) and in smaller communities in the
surrounding villages.

Community centers (the so called “chitalishta”, which are
unique public bodies in Bulgaria) have found their new role as
places for public initiatives, especially in the villages, where
there is no other form of organized citizen activities.

Ethnic minorities as well as people with disabilities have their
representatives in the local government bodies.

Citizens’ Panel in Croatia Panel discussion on Youth Activism in Istria on the way to the EU

Date and time June 3rd 2009 Place Meeting hall at the Spomen Dom building in Pazin

Organizations Region of Istria and Local partners

Region of Istria and
in charge organizations
Foundation for Civil Society

ALL.4.EU:Citizens for Europe!

 Development Foundation for Civil Society Development

Description of the modules (aims, target Target groups:

groups, methodology…)
 local and regional authorities representatives;
 civil society and NGOs representatives;
 Youth Council representatives;
 youth associations;
 students;
 common citizens.

Aims:

 to introduce the ALL.4.EU: Citizens for Europe! project;

 to disseminate information about the Europe for Citizens
Programme;
 to shortly present the work and mission of the projects involved
local partners;
 to raise awareness about the importance of citizens active
participation in local, national and European decision building
proces;
 to launch the citizens panel discussion on the selected theme.

Methodology of a circle planned open discussion.

Main outcomes and outputs The panel discussion had several conclusion points:

- there aren't enough established strategic local / regional self-government

communication channels where citizens could express their wishes,
suggestions and opinions, so therefore it is not surprising to have such an
expressed skepticism, particularly of young people towards the EU, when
they are left alone by themselves on all the levels, not trying to actively
being engaged in processes of decision-making;

- apart a general lack of an effective and interactive institutional

communication network with citizens and the lack of culture of listening and
respect the voice of youth, in those rare communities and civil cases where
initiatives are not marginalized, often happens that young people don't
know how to present their own goals on a public debate level, so it is most
important to teach the young population in order to represent their ideas
and arguments to the local authorities and compete to other political
initiatives;

- recently the Croatian law prescribed the establishment of Youth Councils

in all municipalities and cities in Croatia, what is actually very good, but the
bad thing is that for those units which did not establish it until the deadline
(which was the beginning of 2009, so already expired), the law does not
provide any form of sanctions, and are therefore only few Istrian towns and
municipalities that met this legal obligation. It is considered that introducing
specific financial sanctions for the delay of the Youth Council establishment

ALL.4.EU:Citizens for Europe!

 would be effective measures for those local units that do not respect the
issues and the citizens' interest;

- when speaking about the existing, already created Youth Councils, it

should be said that not all are equally active in their work. Some were
originally established and that later no longer met, in part because young
members don't know their roles and tasks in these tips, and because their
local government has not explained them what should they do. It is
necessary to enable young people to act in local communities;

- surely the young people should be familiar with the structure of local,
regional, national and European government and get closer to them,
because of the great government machines they often get the impression
that these facilities and jobs are reserved for only few selected citizens,
what is wrong and in itself a bad influence on the general desire of young
people to get involved in civic initiatives. We should work and the exception
of governments as potential partners rather than opponents.

Impact at the local level The lack of tradition and reduced stimulation of citizens in building a
democratic society is actually a new challenge for the Istrian Region and
the whole Croatian society on the way to Europe.

Citizens’ Panel in Malta ALL.4.EU Public Seminar

Date and time 30th May 2009 Place Osbourne Hotel, Valletta, Malta

Organization in charge Local Local partners organizations Local Councils’ Association

Councils’
Association

Description of the modules (aims, target groups, Target Groups:

methodology…)
 Representatives from Local Councils
 Representatives from the Civil Society
 Youth Clubs
 Youth Associations
 Students
 Housewives

Aims:

 To introduce the project ALL.4.EU

 To disseminate information regarding EU funding programmes
such as Youth Programme and Europe for Citizens Programme
 The set-up of the Citizens’ Panel
Main outcomes and outputs The main outcomes of the seminar where the following:

 Easier access to information

ALL.4.EU:Citizens for Europe!

  Cut-off unnecessary paperwork and bureaucracy
 The role of the media
 The use of renewable energies
 EU Ombudsman; how to contact him?

During the seminar the participants questioned the following issues:

 How can NGO’s participate in an EU funded project?

 How can schools and students get involved?
 How can a citizen complain about an environmental issue within
the EU institutions?
 Air pollution. What is the EU doing?
 Are there projects for people over the age of 30 years old?
 What about the pensioners? Can they participate in an EU
project?

Impact at the local level At a local level the Panels Activators gave useful information regarding
the following:

 Youth in Action programme

 Europe for Citizenship Programme

They also addressed the participants on a number of the questions

raised.

All the participants said that they felt the need of such a project as they
felt that they were given an opportunity to express their concerns and
doubts regarding the European Union in general.

Citizens’ Panel in Slovakia Europe for us, we for Europe

Date and time 26. May 2009 Place Zvolen

Organization in charge Centrum komunitného organizovania Local partners organizations Citizens Initiatives Zvolen - Zapad

Center for community organizing

Description of the modules (aims, target groups, Aims:

methodology…)
 to present model of the citizens panels to citizens,
aims, tasks, potential next steps
 presentation of All.4.EU project
 to raise awareness about the importance of actively
participating in the construction of Europe, specialy
participation on European Parliament election
 to provide first relevant information on the topic
 to present the “tasks” of citizens’ panels, focusing in
particular on the research to be developed at the

ALL.4.EU:Citizens for Europe!

 local level (relevant inputs guidelines for the
research activity will be provided at this stage)
Target groups:
• citizens of Zvolen, (different age groups, different
background, students and young people...)
Methodology:
• presentation
• discussion
• work in small groups
Main outcomes and outputs • empowered group of activators
• plan for next public events
• plan to organize public hearing with MEP
• group of young people decided to organize quiz in
secondary school in region
• plan for info-days

Impact at the local level • increase of interest of EU issues, especially among

young people and their will to cooperate in future
• participation of event promised to participate on
European Parliament election

Citizens’ Panels in Denmark EU-citizens' panels (Vejle) – ALL.4.EU

Date and time First meeting 28th of May Place Bygningen – public townbuilding
2009

Second meeting 11th of

May 2009. Vejle Business College

Organization in charge Vejle Municipality Local Vejle Municipality

partners
organizations

Description of the modules (aims, target groups, The first meeting that was held 28th of May 2009 was
methodology…) announced in two newspapers in Vejle, through the
municipality's intranet and public web-site and through
recruiting in our private network. Besides that we had send
press-releases to all the local and national media. Therefore
potentially the majority of the citizens of Vejle have had the
opportunity to inform themselves about our meeting and the
citizen’s panel.

ALL.4.EU:Citizens for Europe!

 We wanted to reach as many people as possible and from as
different target groups as possible in order to make the
citizen’s panel representative of the population in Vejle.

The aim was to get as many different groups as possible -

with their different opinions and walks of life - to participate, in
order to create a debate that was marked by diversity.

The purpose of this evening was to present ALL.4.EU to the

participants, and to stimulate a fruitful debate on the different
topics that the participants wished to discuss

Through the use of the Open Space Methodology and an

Asset Based Approach to the participants, the goal was make
the participants the “owners” of the citizen’s panel as quickly
as possible – To let the citizen’s understand that ALL.4.EU is
their project, and that Vejle Municipality function mostly is to
facilitate the process.

The second meeting that was held 11th of June 2009, was
announced in the same way as the first meeting.

The purpose of this evening was to continue and elaborate

the debate that had been initiated on our first meeting.

The aim was to discuss the different topics which the

participants in the first meeting has selected, and to agree on
a set of recommendations based on the evenings discussions
that we could bring to the International Workshop in
Strasbourg.

Main outcomes and outputs The outcome of the first meeting was that our participants
agreed on a number of topics that they wanted to discuss on
a second meeting. A discussion that was started already on
the first evening

The second meeting was held 11th of May 2009. The debates
in Denmark in general were characterized by lack of interest
in the EU after the elections.

ALL.4.EU:Citizens for Europe!


Impact at the local level
ALL.4.EU:Citizens for Europe!
Like on the first meeting our participants were engaged and
we had a very good discussion. This meeting was held in a
conference facility at Vejle Business College We decide to
involve a participant from the citizen panel, to present the
result of the citizen’s panel in Sofia.
Suggested activities from the citizens panel:
• All activities using a common denominator (f.ex.
ALL4EU) - to give a solid branding
• EU Course of study
o A 6 months study to secure knowledge
about EU
o Involvment of 'professional' EU persons
o A certifying course
o At the end of the course (and included in
the study plan) a visit to Brussels
• Permanent 'EU-corner' in libraries
• EU - booth in larger retail shops - presentation
materials handed out
• EU - program on local TV channel
• 'Open house' arrangement by the EU parliament
• Continous transnational activites:
o Different themes chosen every ½ year on
transnational meetings
o Themes could be sports, transnational
panel meetings etc.
o Educational activities using already existing
EU bodies (Comenius etc.)
o Local panel persons join according to
interest
• Spotactivities such as:
o Quiz arrangements (reward visit to EU)
o EU information on buses, trains
o EU videclips in cinemas/MTV
o Provocative campaigns on 'make your point
on EU'
• Obligatory EU projects in secondary school
• 'Granny/Grandpa for EU'
The project has showed that there this a great interest among
many of Vejle Municipality’s different education institutions
and organisations to participate in projects where the goal is
to get people more involved in the public debate about the
EU and local democracy

1st Citizens’ Panel in Italy
Date and time
Organization in charge
Description of the modules (aims, target groups,
methodology…)
ALL.4.EU:Citizens for Europe!
But at the same time the result has showed that many
“ordinary” citizens in Vejle, still has no real interest in
participating in a project like ALL.4.EU, and that is why one of
the main target groups are the younger people.
This was also reflected in much of the debate and in the
results from the citizen’s panels two meetings - many of the
discussed subjects was about how to encourage people to
participate especially through teaching and information.
Meeting: “The Active citizens” - Research activity at the local level
and preparation of the international meeting
Thursday 25th Place Museum of “Grandi Fiumi” of
June 2009 Rovigo
Consortium for Local partners organizations Municipality of Rovigo
Development of
Polesine - Secondary Schools
CONSVIPO
The aims of the Meeting are:
- to promote the “International meeting of citizens panels” through a real
bottom-up approach, where citizens and their knowledge represent
the main “resources” of the meeting itself.
The target groups of the Workshop are:
-common citizens of the province of Rovigo,
-schools,
- institutions,
- civil society organizations,
- young people.
Methodology:
- The Meeting “The active citizens” has been promoted by flyers and
posters during the Workshop “Citizens for Europe”, by the network
“Informagiovani”, by the Municipality involved in the project and by
common citizens involved in the first activities,
- The event has been organized as a big Working Group in which every
participant express his opinion about the results of the questionnaire
and about the active citizenship (possible incentives and activities),
- In the end of the meeting the participants have collected: needs,
proposal and limits about the active citizenship,

Main outcomes and outputs
Impact at the local level
ALL.4.EU:Citizens for Europe!
- These conclusion are the first draft of a paper about the active
citizenship in the province of Rovigo.
The main Outcomes and output produced during this meeting are
Needs, Proposal and Limits of the active citizenship in the province of
Rovigo:
Needs:
a. Publication of the Questionnaire: “Citizens for Europe” to make
citizens and institutions aware of the actual need to develop a
knowledge of Europe and the limits regarding this;
b. A direct link with public administrators, who should be
continuously available to listen to the people;
c. The creation of a ”Council for active citizenship and
participation”;
d. The adoption of methods of “work in progress” or working
methods that ensure the development of activities;
e. Strengthening and development of projects already in the field
instead of establishing new initiatives;
Proposal:
a. Create networks or multimedia workshops through institutions
such as municipal, regional and provincial, but also the development
agencies of the territory though direct communication with each
other;
b. Develop a social platform like Facebook, which allows a
connection with anyone who works, studies, or who is otherwise
interested in European subjects;
c. Training for students and teachers in order to raise awareness
of the opportunities that Europe offers;
d. Select the most interesting initiatives, avoiding overloading and
consequently wasting institutions resources;
e. Create a platform for discussion where you can communicate in
issues ”European” and where we can provide a “File download”
where you can find material useful for “making yourself active”;
f. Develop E-learning technologies within the reach of all ages;
g. Teach what is Europe in the elementary schools, through
comics, games and audio-visual techniques (such as interactive CD)
by reducing and making learning more interesting.
Limits:
a. Inadequate political will to break down the barriers that divide
people in the institutions;
b. Loss of passion that comes from not obtaining results;
c. Difficulty in establishing continuous interest in the subject
The meeting has allowed to know and analyze the problem about active
citizenship in the province of Rovigo also thanks the proposal and
problem arisen during the workshop “Citizens for Europe”.
During this meeting the common citizens have expressed their opinions
about this important issue and have suggested their proposal.
2nd Citizens’ Panel in Italy
Date and time
Organization in charge
Description of the modules (aims, target groups,
methodology…)
ALL.4.EU:Citizens for Europe!
Workshop “Citizens for Europe: To promote an active citizenship” –
Set-up of Local Citizens’ Panels
Thursday 11th Place Above “Canalbianco” of Arquà
June 2009 Polesine (Rovigo)
Consortium for Local partners organizations Municipality of Rovigo
Development of
Polesine - Municipality of Taglio di Po
CONSVIPO Municipality of Polesella
Municipality of Bosaro
Municipality of Arquà Polesine
Municipality of Ceregnano
Province of Rovigo
Secondary Schools
The aims of the Workshop are:
- to show the project ALL.4.EU and the activities implemented or will be
implemented,
- to present the three citizens’ panels activators and their future
activities,
- to develop the active citizenship,
- to involve common citizens in the project,
- to create a citizens’ panel in the province of Rovigo,
- to create the basis for the future activities.
The target groups of the Workshop are:
- common citizens of the province of Rovigo,
- schools,
- institutions,
- civil society organizations,
- young people.
Methodology:
- to define the local activities and the “Set-up” there have been five
meetings among CONSVIPO an Panels,
- a questionnaire has been developed by three activators and
CONSVIPO,
- the aim of the questionnaire was gather knowledge, information and
interest that the citizens have about European Institutions and
European Policies,
- to assure and promote this initiative ballot boxes have been prepared
for collecting filled-up questionnaires,
- questionnaires have been distributed in the Municipality where the
 three Activators live:
1. Municipality of Rovigo:
a. Front office of the Municipality,
b. Youth policies office,
c. Senior citizens office,
d. Volunteer centre,
e. Library,
f. Front office of the Province of Rovigo,
g. Loans office of the Province of Rovigo
h. Secondary schools
2. Municipality of Polesella,
3. Municipality of Taglio di Po.
Moreover in the Municipality of:

1. Arquà Polesine,
2. Ceregnano,
3. Bosaro.
The three activators also have distributed and collected more
questionnaires in some secondary schools:

a. IISS “E. DeAmicis” – Rovigo,

b. Istituto Corrado Ferrini – Rovigo,
c. Liceo Classico Celio – Rovigo,
d. IPSIA – Rovigo,
e. Liceo Classico Bocchi – Adria,
f. Istituto Professionale Alberghiero – Adria,
- The questionnaires collected have been 621, 59 of them with errors.
The sample investigation was represented by 562 questionnaires.
- The common citizens and the young people that have attend at the
workshop have been involved by the network “Informa giovani”, the
network among CONSVIPO, Municipalities and Institutions, the
network of civil society organizations and the schools of the province.
- The event was been promoted by:
1. press conference,
2. press articles,
3. dissemination on the web-site,
4. flyers,
5. open call,
6. posters.
- During the meeting, Authorities and many experts have intervened in
the discussion.
- During the workshop the three Activators have been realized three
working groups:
1. Culture, education and learning by Laura Frigeri;
2. Economy and work, Youth policies by Mattia Braghin;
3. Security and immigration by Leonardo Raito.
These three topics are the main voted in the questionnaire

Each working groups have given a definition of participation and active

citizenship, have defined possible tools to increase it and stimulated
relationships among citizens and Institutions and finally have underline
the problems.

- The citizens that not interested in working groups activities have

ALL.4.EU:Citizens for Europe!

 participated to a laboratory when through a questionnaire they have
understood which “Kind of Europe” they prefer.
- At the end of the workshop the results and the activities implemented
have been promoted and disseminated by newspapers and internet.

Main outcomes and outputs The main outcome produced is the analysis developed by the
questionnaire.

Thanks this analysis we can know that the citizens of the province of
Rovigo think and Know of the European Union, of its Institutions and its
politics.

Another important output is the results of the working groups coordinated

by the three Activators. Each of these working-groups have given a
definition of participation and active citizenship, have defined possible
tools to increase it and to stimulated relationships among citizens and
Institutions and finally have underlined the problems.

Impact at the local level The Workshop and all the activities developed have been promoted and
disseminated by internet and newspapers.

The activities implemented have allowed at the participants to know the

importance of the active citizenship for the increase of a territory and a
community.

Thanks the Workshop the citizens, the institution and the association of
civil society have known the project ALL.4.EU and all the activities
developed or will be developed.

By this meeting the citizens of the province of Rovigo have known the
programmes and the project implemented by the European Union to
developed the active citizenship.

ALL.4.EU:Citizens for Europe!