WRITTEN QUESTION E-0486/02 by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Civil society.
Date: 2002-02-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, European convention, company constituted under civil law, financial aid, international meeting, non-governmental organisation

C 28 E/32

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2003

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(23 April 2002)

The Honourable Member’s question is very pertinent at a time when European citizens throughout the
Union are voicing new expectations of the various institutions which govern their lives at local, regional,
national and Community level.

The European Convention has already decided to take full account of
these expectations in its
the Commission is
deliberations, giving particular attention to the principle of subsidiarity. Whilst
interested in a study on the current situation of the Union’s local authorities and in the comparative
analysis of the methods and means which they deploy to meet such expectations, it cannot commit itself
to putting forward a proposal at Community level, and it does not intend to conduct a study on the
subject.

(2003/C 28 E/036)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0486/02

by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(22 February 2002)

Subject: Civil society

A number of NGOs, under the umbrella term ‘Civil Society’, will be asked to participate in the forthcoming
Convention on the Future of Europe. Would the Commission please give a list of the organisations
participating in the Convention and indicate which of those organisations receive Community funds and
how much they have received for each of the past three years?

Furthermore, which organisations have money ‘earmarked’ and from which budget line to they derive their
funds?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(18 April 2002)

The Laeken declaration restricted participation in the Convention to the President and two specially
designated Vice-Presidents, and representatives of national Governments, national Parliaments,
the
European Parliament and the Commission along with observers representing the Economic and Social
Committee and the Committee of the Regions and the Ombudsman. Thus, with the exception of the three
representatives of the social partners who enjoy observer status, no non-governmental organisation (NGO)
will take part in the Convention proper.

The Laeken declaration states that ‘In order for the debate to be broadly based and involve all citizens, a
Forum will be opened for organisations representing civil society (the social partners, the business world,
non-governmental organisations, academia, etc)’.

For reasons of principle no list of NGOs invited to take part in the Forum has been produced, as any
European or national organisation wishing to take part in and make a contribution to the Forum will be
able to do so. As and when NGOs make a contribution and thereby become participants in the Forum,
their names and particulars will be put on a regularly up-dated list on the Forum internet site opened by
the Convention (1).

As it is not known, at this stage, which NGOs will make contributions to the Forum, it cannot be said
which ones receive Community grants.

(1) http://european-convention.eu.int.