Commission launches public consultation on future programme for active citizenship - Main contents
The European Commission launched today an on-line consultation concerning the future Community Action Programme to promote active citizenship. This on-line consultation is the first stage of a consultation exercise in which interested citizens and their organisations are invited to submit their opinions on the orientations of the future programme. The second stage will take the form of a consultative Forum involving representatives of interested parties in early February 2005 for a more in-depth discussion. The on-line consultation period starts today and will last two months.
"One of the major challenges of the new Commission will be to involve citizens more deeply in the development of the European Union," said Ján Figel', European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Multilingualism, adding: "I believe that the future programme on active citizenship will bring an important contribution towards a more citizen-friendly Europe and this consultation is an important opportunity for citizens to make their voice heard on the issue".
The Commission is currently implementing a Community Action Programme to promote active citizenship, which will come to an end on 31st December 2006. The main purpose of this programme is to contribute to bringing citizens closer to the Union, having them involved in reflection and discussion on the Union, intensifying links between citizens of different countries, notably via town-twinning initiatives, and to stimulating initiatives in the field of civic participation.
The Commission has already started working on its proposal for a future programme to take over this initiative as of 1st January 2007. In this framework, the Commission is launching this consultation with a view to draw together the opinions of citizens and civil society organisations on the overall approach of the future programme for active citizenship, including its objectives, the main activities and its implementation. The results of the consultation will be analysed in the framework of the ex ante evaluation carried out by the Commission prior to making its proposal for a new programme, which is due in the first half of 2005.
The consultation questionnaire and background documents are now available on Europa at:
http://europa.eu.int/yourvoice/consultations/index_en.htm
The consultation takes the form of an on-line questionnaire focussing on the key aspects of the future programme. Responses to the ten questions and (optional) comments must be submitted by 15 February 2005 at the latest.