Learn about your benefits from Active European Citizenship
Project implemented in cooperation with CSOs from Western Balkans` Region and Brussels
Association for promotion of Human Rights and Media Freedoms CENZURA PLUS from Croatia in partnership with the Social Innovation Lab from Croatia, CNVOS from Slovenia, EECAS from Belgium, VESTA Association from Bosnia and Herzegovina, CRVNO from Montenegro and BCSDN from FYRO Macedonia, is implementing project named “Learn about your benefits from Active European Citizenship”, financed under the Europe for Citizens Program.
The project aims at fostering and improving the sense of European citizenship in an already member country of the EU – Slovenia, in a new EU member country – Croatia, in candidate countries – FYR Macedonia and Montenegro and in a potential candidate country – Bosnia and Herzegovina. The activities of the program will be directed towards increasing the awareness on the EU, citizens’ rights and opportunities for the citizens as defined by different EU policies, citizens’ participation in political processes and especially decision making process on all levels (including the EU level) and capacity of the civil society sector as one of the leading agents in the aforementioned democratic processes.
The project will particularly put the emphasis on sharing experiences on important principles, tools and processes intended to support and foster active citizenship among the 5 countries taking into account their different status in relation to the EU (from an old member to a potential candidate) and different level of success in putting participatory democracy as well as sense of European citizenship in practice. The planned activities of the project are also envisaged with a view to further implementation of these principles, tools and processes (European citizens’ rights and the role of European Ombudsman, Civil dialogue, Partnership principle, European citizens’ initiative and European Parliament/EP elections 2014). The leading partner is a Croatian organization which is significant considering the fact that Croatia has just recently become a full member of the EU, so fostering the sense of Croatian citizens as citizens of the EU and of mobilizing them to a proactive role in fully enjoying the benefits of their rights on the EU level is necessity of an outmost importance. This explains furthermore the fact that the major events as envisaged by this project will take place in Croatia and the attention is also drawn to the Croatian elections for the European Parliament.
The project activities will be in particular directed towards encouraging the citizens to use all the mechanisms as provided by the EU: European Ombudsman, Civil dialogue, European citizens’ initiative and the growing importance and influence of the EP as envisaged by the Lisbon Treaty. In order for the activities and the purpose of the program to be fully realized namely to reach as largest number of citizens as possible, the media production will play an important part. Informative and educative TV shows will be broadcasted on several TV stations in Croatia and re-broadcasted in Montenegro, FYRO Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, so people all over the Western Balkans` Region will be able to inform more about the EU issues.
