In November, the European Commission launched the Autumn Package of the 2022 European Semester. To coincide with this, Social Platform released two guidance documents on improving civil dialogue in the European Semester process: one addressed to EU institutions and the other to EU Member States. As a member of Social Platform, Eurodiaconia contributes to the development of their positions and offers a gateway for our members to connect with the largest network of civil society organisations in Europe.
Making the European Semester more accessible and participatory is in the best interests of healthy and functioning participatory democracies. By increasing the diversity and quality of civil dialogue, we can build trust and better socioeconomic outcomes for people across Europe. These two documents are designed to lay out, for the EU and Member States, how this can best be achieved. They also serve to support civil society in building a united and coherent approach.
At an EU level, Social Platform is calling for formally recognised structures that facilitate regular civil dialogue. This dialogue must engage with CSOs in all their diversity, providing space for people from across society, to represent themselves on their own terms. Furthermore, regulatory and financial frameworks must be designed to empower and not limit civil society. To support this, regular and robust data collection on the involvement of CSOs in the Semester Process is necessary, to identify and remove structural barriers.
Nationally, Social Platform is calling upon Member States to actively engage in making sure civil dialogue is structured, regular and meaningful. They want Member States to fully recognise the value of civil society and to invest in CSOs capacity to engage in policy development.
Improving civil dialogue is a crucial aspect of establishing a more inclusive and socially conscious Semester process and healthier democratic engagement within Member States. Eurodiaconia members can contribute to this by sharing and discussing the guidance document for Member States with your contacts at a national level.
If you have further questions about how your organisation can engage in improving civil dialogue, both nationally and at a European level, don’t hesitate to contact us.
If you want to learn more about the Semester Process and where we stand on it, sign-up for our webinar on the 2022 European Semester on December 14th at 14:00 here.