Civil Society Participation and EU Children's Rights Policy

Abstract

Since 2006, the European Commission has embraced the promotion of children's rights inside and outside the Union by including civil society organizations in the European Union's (EU) policy processes. This article critically examines the impact of the participation of child rights’ organizations on the policy processes regarding the EU child rights agenda. It is argued that a ‘bifurcated’ pattern of civil society engagement has emerged in relation to EU internal and external policy dimensions: While Commission external services developed a structured and inclusive relationship with children's organizations, Directorate General Justice, on the other hand, has ended up disengaging the same stakeholders. It is argued that the ‘bifurcated’ pattern of civil society engagement entailed the adoption of divergent policy frames on children's rights at the Commission level and limited the Europeanization effects at the domestic level. Last but not least, the fallout of civil society stakeholders regarding EU internal policy has undermined the Commission's capacity to translate the abstract principles contained in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into concrete measures that would really make a difference on the ground to children's lives.