Discussion “Empowering Citizens: Transparency, Decision-Making, and Stakeholder Engagement in the European Parliament”

About the project

The project addresses the challenges of low awareness and involvement of Croatian citizens in European Citizen Initiatives and EC public consultations on draft EU policies, as well as the lack of academic research, teaching and public debates about those challenges. It aims to promote excellence in teaching and research on active European democratic citizenship and strengthen the understanding of how the EU works as a precondition for active citizen engagement in EU policymaking. Given the low trust of Croatian citizens in the EU institutions and trends of disinformation about the EU, the project aims to contribute to the societal resilience to democratic backsliding tendencies and growing threats to fundamental European values.

By combining innovative teaching methods, students’ community engagement, research, and multi-stakeholder public debates, the project will enhance the active European citizenship competencies among students of political science and journalism at the Faculty of Political Science of the University of Zagreb and encourage them to share their knowledge about the EU among Croatian citizens. Through conducting communication campaigns on European citizen initiatives and EC public consultations and through participating in a simulation of negotiations on selected EU legislative files, students will develop their critical thinking skills and learn how to actively engage in European democratic life. Various events on active citizen engagement in EU policymaking will be organized to mobilise the participation of representatives of the academic community, civil society, media, and business, as well as local, state and EU-level policymakers. Drawing on the empirical evidence gathered during the project, a series of research papers will be published and the findings widely disseminated. The project should provide an impetus to increasing the number of Croatian citizens participating in European citizen initiatives and EC public consultations. The duration of the project is from September 2023 until September 2026.

The discussion on “Empowering Citizens: Transparency, Decision-Making, and Stakeholder Engagement in the European Parliament” was held at Europe House on 15 January 2024, organized by the Faculty of Political Science in cooperation with the European Parliament Office in Croatia. The event enabled students of the Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb to engage in a discussion with experts and staff from the European Parliament Office in Croatia on many relevant issues, mostly related to public participation in the EU political life.
Among other, the following points were stressed during the discussion:
- the European Parliament significantly impacts our lives, more than most realize. It's crucial to enhance civic education, especially for younger generations, to increase awareness of the EU's role.
- our national politicians need to start actively communicating the EU's impact and take responsibility for this narrative.
- the upcoming European elections (6-9 June 2024) are vital and each vote can make a real difference
- the new digital platform together.eu (or zajednoza.eu in Croatian) offers a series of opportunities for engaging in events and receiving updated information.
-while digital platforms are essential, the importance of face-to-face interactions remains paramount.

During the discussion, students from various EU countries shared their views on the challenges and barriers to active participation in EU politics, with specific examples from their national contexts.

A more practical part of the discussion was focused on the case of the Nature Restoration Law, expected to be adopted by the European Parliament in February 2024. This Law, a topic of heated debate among farmers and environmental activists, is only one of the recent examples of the European Parliament's far-reaching influence.

Lastly, while the European Parliament offices in member states play a pivotal role in communication, it was concluded that national bodies must initiate regular, meaningful discussions on key EU policies.

Jean Monnet Chair "Active European Democratic Citizenship for Resilient Society"

About the project

Key staff members from the Faculty

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Discussion “Empowering Citizens: Transparency, Decision-Making, and Stakeholder Engagement in the European Parliament”