From 2010 Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion to 2014 Year of European elections
giovedì, March 31st, 2011The full text of the E.M.E.R.G.E. publication can be read here:
European Union between defense of the Treaties and electoral consensus
The transnational research staff at work
lunedì, March 21st, 2011The E.M.E.R.G.E. partnership has realized the volume European
The publication gathers the results achieved by the trans-national staff of Italian, Bulgarian and Romanian researchers. It focuses on the activities held by the European Parliament and other EU institutions in relation to the main social problems in
This publication enables to deepen the new tool of democratic participation that from April 2012 will allow the citizens to directly begin the European legislative process: the "European Citizens’ Initiative".
For further information and for a copy of the book, plaese email: g.fiaccarini@sturzo.it.
More details about the new European tool of democracy
mercoledì, March 16th, 2011The Regulation of the "European Citizens’ Initiative" was approved on February 16th and published on March 11th 2011.
It can be read and downloaded here:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:065:0001:0022:EN:PDF
New participatory instruments to ask for new European law. Citizens, stakeholders, Ngo's and political parties will be able to use another tool to stand up their voice inside the EU institutions
mercoledì, November 17th, 2010
"Freedom is involvement" Italian folk-singer Giorgio Gaber used to sing. Involvement could also mean freedom and wish to play an active role within the public European sphere thanks a new participatory democracy tool. Our vote to the European Elections won't be anymore the exclusive way to participate to the European institutions’ life. The Lisbon Treaty (article 11 TEU and article 24 TFEU) introduces a new form of public involvement in European Union, the so called "European citizens initiative". This tool enables at least one million citizens who are nationals of a still undetermined number of Member States to call directly on the European Commission to bring forward an initiative of interest to them in an area of EU competence. The right to petition to the European Parliament differs substantially to the new "initiative". European citizens will be able to sign a political document to urge European Commission to prepare a law proposal.
It is now necessary to wait that European Institutions will define the operational aspects of this new instrument. Considered the importance of this new tool for citizens, civil society and stakeholders, the Commission carried out a broad public consultation on the basis of a green paper in order to seek the opinions of all interested parties on how the citizens' initiative should work in practice. The Commission adopted a proposal on March. This is the basis to begin negotiations with the European Parliament and the Council. The goal is the adoption of a specific Regulation. The effectiveness will also depend on the answers of this Regulation to various points that are still object of negotiations: minimum number of EU countries, minimum number of signatories per country, minimum age of signatories, form and wording, rules on collecting, verifying and authenticating, time limit for collecting, rules on transparency and a possible time limit for Commission response. The citizens initiative system should become operational during the first six months of 2011.
Initiatives and projects with Bulgarian participation in regard with the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion
lunedì, August 23rd, 2010
After the official launch of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion on 22nd February in Sofia, Bulgaria has been relatively proactive in its agenda for raising awareness of the issues of social exclusion and dynamic promotion of ideas concerning projects related to the Year. Since the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy is the institution responsible for implementation of activities in regard with the Year, its Minister – Totyu Mladenov presented the specific national goals in the context of the main European common objectives and principles of the Year. The amount of over € 500,000 for the Year is provided by the state budget and the budget of the European Union. The priority thematic areas for Bulgaria during the 2010 Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion are: fighting child poverty; promoting inclusive labor market; equal access to services, culture and sport; overcoming the discrimination of vulnerable ethnic groups; social inclusion of people with disabilities; and gender mainstreaming.
One of the most recent projects advertised by the Bulgarian Ministry of labor and social policy is the “In Search of Solidarity” photo competition which is devoted to combating poverty and social exclusion in 2010. The aim of this contest is to promote a society which supports and improves the quality of life, social well-being and equal opportunities for every single person. Every contestant has to put together a documentary containing 3 to 6 images illustrating the initiatives taken in order to help and improve the condition of the most disadvantaged groups of the population. That is how the ordinary citizen can contribute to the fight against poverty and social exclusion in his area, town or region in the scope of this photo competition.