EU Civil Society Research Articles

The EU'S financial support for the civil society in the Western Balkans vs. the Republic of Moldova

The civil society has increased its involvement in the life of every democratic society. The goal of our paper is to outline the engagement of the EU in the reformation/ democratization of the Western Balkans and the Republic of Moldova through the financial aid that is offered to the civil society. The civil society in a democracy plays an important role in the awareness and concern of the public opinion regarding a conflict resolution process. At present, an empowered and active civil society can mobilize people in the street, for the purpose of demanding change. From raising awareness and sharing information about a supposed prejudice to connecting with others who feel the same about an issue, the civil society impacts public opinion. Methodologically, we started from the following research hypothesis: the financial aid offered by the EU helps to reform the countries in the process of joining the EU. Consequently, our study is based on a comparative analysis of the official documents issued by the European Commission concerning the financing of the multi-country multiannual action plan on an EU Civil Society Facility and Media Programme in favour of the Western Balkans and Turkey for 2021-2023, with a focus on the countries of the Western Balkans, and in favour of the NDICI Neighbourhood East Region part 1 for 2021-2022, with a focus on Moldova. The research is multidisciplinary and at the crossroads of decision-making policies and communication, attempting to contribute to a better understanding of the role of the civil society amid the democratization/reformation of the Western Balkans and the Republic of Moldova.

Why do business leaders, senior politicians and civil servants move to leading positions in EU civil society? Exploring capital gains through boundary crossing

ABSTRACT Why do business leaders, senior politicians and civil servants move to leading positions in EU civil society? The article addresses this question through thirteen unique life-work history interviews with leaders of some of the most prominent EU civil society organisations (CSOs). Inspired by sociological approaches in EU civil society research, the article combines insights from the literature on EU lobbying and CSO professionalisation with the Bourdieusian concept of capital to explore the specific social resources that EU civil society and individual elite actors gain through the process of boundary crossing. It shows how EU civil society gains predominantly cultural capital (organisational and procedural knowledge), social capital (professional and personal networks), and symbolic capital (status and publicity), while individual elite actors gain primarily a form of civil society-specific symbolic capital that is associated with the alleged goodness of civil society and the act of ‘doing good’ that might facilitate policy influence. The article provides original, first-hand insights into how the civil society sector seeks to strike a balance between passion and professionalism and raises important normative questions about the integration of elites across economic, political, and civil society fields in Brussels.

Cartel of Silence: How the European Union Undermines the Work of its Human Rights Defenders in the OSCE

Abstract In the face of a rapid decline of rule of law standards in a number of EU Member States, this article examines whether the Helsinki process of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which was instrumental in strengthening the political commitments to human rights and their defenders during the Cold War and thereafter, can still deliver for defenders in the EU today. It discusses issues related to the concern of the OSCE’s fading relevance in its human dimension and the role EU Member States (EUMS) play in its decline. In reviewing the EU’s diplomatic practice within the OSCE, this article suggests that in its quest for unity, the EU has grown into a cartel of silence, effectively weakening the OSCE’s foundational logic of peer review as it is unwilling to deal with problems in a forum that was created for this very purpose. The article then recommends a number of ways in which OSCE’s institutions and political bodies could develop their working methods to take advantage of particularly EU civil society expertise while also being open to their calls for OSCE action.

A Thin Line: Governmental Border Communication in Times of European Crises.

In response to the recent crises in Europe, many governments have tightened their border controls despite considerable criticism from the EU Commission and civil society. While borders are at the core of recent crises, we lack systematic evidence of how governments publicly inform about border politics and justify measures. Therefore, we ask: How do EU governments communicate about borders? We analyze a comprehensive sample of press releases of the Austrian and German governments over 12 years (2009-2020). Applying a mixed-methods design, we employ automated text analysis, specifically latent semantic scaling (LSX) to scale documents regarding how they communicated permeability (openness and closedness) of borders and the state of affairs regarding a state of crisis and routine. Based on this quantitative analysis, we then apply qualitative text analysis to explore the nuances and patterns of this communication to gain in-depth insights into governmental stances about borders.

Social resilience management of Ukrainian territorial communities during the Covid-19 pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic changes people’s behavior, determines the interpersonal distance of communication, and deepens the digitalization processes of public life. This paper aims to establish the social trust impact on the social sustainability of Ukrainian territorial communities in the Covid-19 pandemic. For an empirical study, four territorial communities of Ukraine were taken, which geographically represent the whole of Ukraine. It used the online survey method based on Google forms. A randomly selected 1530 respondents aged 18+ were interviewed in 2021, where the quota sampling by gender, age, and territorial community has been preserved. The study proves that the family remains the basis of social stability for Ukrainians. In difficult situations, the population expects help from their relatives and is ready to help themselves. However, institutional social trust is highly deficient, with only 5.8% of citizens wishing for help from local authorities in the face of the pandemic. The survey shows that the poorest part of the population is prone to atomization and demonstrates the lowest interpersonal and institutional trust level, weakening social stability due to the risks of numerous divorces, labor migration, and the problems of family members’ isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic has widened the gap between the poorest and wealthiest groups. Therefore, social resilience management should aim to improve institutional and interpersonal social trust. Furthermore, public authorities should unite the community using economic, social, cultural, and religious instruments since atomized individuals cannot withstand local and global challenges efficiently. AcknowledgmentThe paper was prepared in the framework of the research project “Sustainable development and resource security: from disruptive technologies to digital transformation of Ukrainian economy” (№ 0121U100470) and “ Jean Monnet Chair in EU Economic Policies and Civil Society” (619878-EPP-1-2020-1-UA-EPPJMO-CHAIR).

Transformation of the human capital reproduction in line with Industries 4.0 and 5.0

The study’s relevance relates to the transformation of the human capital reproduction during the transition to a new socio-economic model and changes (digitalization, cyberization, customization, etc.) that are now taking place within Industries 4.0 and 5.0. The purpose of the study is to formulate the content and key directions of learning processes based on modeling and the formation of digital twins for the production and consumption of goods. The research method is based on the analysis of structural links in socio-economic systems, where the potential of human capital is realized. The study describes a trialectic model for the system development mechanism, which gives grounds to distinguish three types of essential components of implementing the specialists’ competencies (material, information, and communication). Based on the concept of “system of systems”, the necessity of multifunctional training of specialists for socio-economic systems is substantiated and shown on the list of personal knowledge/skills in the renewable energy sector. Recent trends in the reproduction of human capital, such as intellectualization, increased communication, internationalization, acquisition of skills, customization, and communication with consumers, are stated in line with Industries 4.0 and 5.0. The potential for future research is aimed at harmonizing relations between humans and cyber-physical systems, motivating the needs for self-development, and using disruptive technologies in the reproduction of human capital. AcknowledgmentThe publication contains the results of research of the European Commission grants “Jean Monnet Chair in EU Economic Policies and Civil Society” (619878-EPP-1-2020-1-UA-EPPJMO-CHAIR) and EU legislative, economic and social transition to sustainable society within Industry 4.0 and 5.0 (619997-EPP-1-2020-1-UA-EPPJMO-CHAIR).The paper is prepared within the scientific research projects “Sustainable development and resource security: from disruptive technologies to digital transformation of Ukrainian economy” (No. 0121U100470) and “Fundamentals of the phase transition to the additive economy: from disruptive technologies to institutional socialization of decisions” No. 0121U109557), funded by the general fund of the state budget of Ukraine.

Can EU Civil Society Elites Burst the Brussels Bubble? Civil Society Leaders’ Career Trajectories

The Brussels-based civil society organizations (CSOs) have been conceived by the EU to act as a bridge between the bureaucratic elites and the citizens of Europe. The institutionalized presence of the major EU-based CSOs has, however, called their legitimacy into question, as exemplified by notions such as ‘revolving doors’ implying homogeneous social, educational, and professional backgrounds shared by both EU officials and CSO leaders. This article therefore asks the following questions: To what extent do the leaders of EU-based CSOs merely reproduce the types of capital that mirror those of the political elites in the so-called ‘Brussels bubble’? To what extent do the CSO leaders bring in other sets of capital and forms of recognition that are independent of the Brussels game? How can we explain differences in the salience of EU capital found across policy areas, types of leadership positions, and types of organizations? Empirically, this article qualitatively analyzes the career trajectories of 17 leaders of EU-based peak CSOs that are active in social and environmental policy areas. Despite the highly integrated and institutionalized characteristics shared by all organizations, we find diversity in the composition of the leaders in terms of the extent to which their career trajectories are embedded in the EU arena.

The EU’s hegemonic interventions in the South Caucasus: Constructing ‘civil’ society, depoliticising human rights?

This article draws upon poststructuralist and postcolonial theories to examine the European Union’s (EU’s) policies of human rights promotion in the South Caucasus – notably, the EU’s engagement with local human rights activists and organisations in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Contrary to most literature, which has been concerned with policy (in)effectiveness, this article is interested in problematising the discursive foundations of this EU-civil society ‘partnership’ in the realm of human rights promotion, as well as in retrieving the agency of actors who are ‘at the receiving end’ of EU policies. It is argued that the discursive construction of ‘civil’ society as a ‘good-Other’ of the EU-Self serves as a means to depoliticise the EU’s interventions, aiming at the approximation of ‘transitioning’ countries to the EU’s human rights standards. Although the hegemonic relation requires subaltern actors to perform the ‘civil’ society identity, processes of hybridisation and subversion arise as external interventions interact with local realities and meanings. Building on in-depth interviews and ethnographic observations, the article shows how the hegemonic identity of ‘civil’ society is negotiated by South Caucasus ‘not-quite-civil’ actors striving for local legitimacy, financial survival or ownership of their human rights work.

Iconosphere of the contemporary city and its relations with urban planning in Poland after 1989

We have been observing dynamic metamorphosis of the world cities, including Polish ones, in qualitative and quantitative dimensions. Systemic transformation started in Poland after 1989, resigning of socialistic model of urban planning. Neoliberal economy and its paradigms, but also Polish access to EU structures and civil society creating had a significant impact on shape, functioning and skyline of Polish cities. Iconic buildings intensive development, accompanied by their surroundings improvement have been observed in Poland for several years. We witness shaping contemporary Polish cities iconosphere, what has an elementary impact on evolution and reconstitution of urban structures identity. The article purpose is to reflect on contemporary iconosphere of Polish cities (analyses and evaluation). The discussed problem refers to spatial policy implemented in Poland and related on an example of Culture-Congress Center Jordanki in Torun.

EU Civil Society: Patterns of Cooperation, Competition and Conflict

EU Civil Society: Patterns of Cooperation, Competition and Conflict

The German REACH Congress 2016: a workshop report.

In October 2016, the German REACH Congress was held at the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in Berlin. Here, the associated improvement made in the fields of consumer protection and the progress in and experiences gained from the implementation of the authorisation procedure were discussed. Several speakers from EU institutions, German authorities, industry, and civil society organisations were invited to present their views. There was a shared consensus that REACH contributes to the advancement of consumer protection against chemical risks, mainly because more and higher quality information on substance-related hazards and potential exposures becomes available. In addition, risk management measures, particularly regarding restrictions on uses, scale down consumer exposures to chemicals. Opportunities for improvements identified at the congress include the quality of registration dossiers and the management of and communication on substances of very high concern (SVHC) that may be present in consumer articles. Although regarded as being in an early implementation phase, the authorisation process was generally found to be operational and progressing well. Criticism was expressed with regard to the consistency of authorisation decisions and the costs and uncertainties related to authorisation applications. Consumer protection legislation consists of several legal provisions which are interlinked. The congress participants agreed that REACH is an important element of this legal framework as it enhances and complements other legal provisions.

Democracy at Stake: Multipositional Actors and Politicization in the EU Civil Society Field

AbstractThe European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) has the potential to significantly change the dynamics of interaction between EU institutions and civil society, which we conceive as a field. This article analyzes how the EU civil society field has been re‐shaped by the ECI, the creation of networks and relationships between EU and national organizations and the effects of politicization. Using interview data and online documents from five ECI cases, we argue that an ECI can potentially transform the meta‐field of civil society and democracy by altering what is at stake. We show that the five cases compete in a single field of civil society in the EU where incumbent organizations react to challenges. However, the field cannot be characterized in terms of a competition between insiders and outsiders. Rather, the ECI favours actors able to combine activism in different spheres – which we call multi‐positional actors.

CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE EUROPEAN UNION IN TIMES OF CRISIS: FROM PARTNERSHIP TO THREAT?

The article analyses the changes in the interaction between the EU institutions and civil society organizations. The article first sets the conceptual stage by examining the role of civil society in the political arena and specifically in the context of the Europeanization. It then identifies 3 major phases of European activism: 1) 1993–2001, the period in which institutional channels were opened for civil society at the European level; 2) 2001–2014, the period in which civil society played a full role within the EU governance; 3) 2014 to present day, in which the emergence and consolidation of anti-EU establishment civil society has become a central political issue for the EU. Three specific European master frames are analyzed, before the focus is shifted to the global level. Concluding remarks are presented on the critical issue and the future prospect for the EU with reference to the impact of social mobilization from below in a context of crisis.

Mapping the substance of the EU's civil society support in Central Asia: From neo-liberal to state-led civil society

Over the years, civil society empowerment has become an integral part of the European Union's (EU) external and internal governance as a way to advance democracy and enhance citizen participation. While there has been increasing scholarly attention to the instruments and impact of the EU's civil society support, so far there has been little research on the question what kind of civil society the EU actually promotes. This article intends to fill this gap by examining the substance of the EU's civil society support in post-Soviet Central Asia, a region where various forms of civil society organizations (CSOs) exist. The findings reveal a differentiation between civil society types promoted in EU strategic documents and those that are supported in practice. While at the strategic planning level the EU seeks to strengthen civil society broadly construed, at the program implementation level the (neo-) liberal CSOs are the main beneficiaries. At the same time, the EU customizes its civil society assistance depending on the realities on the ground and at times finds itself empowering state-led civil society, while communal groups rarely benefit from the EU assistance schemes. This has severe implications for the advancement of citizen participation, considering that the actual grass-root initiatives are largely excluded from the EU assistance.

Johansson, Hakan/Kalm, Sara (eds.): EU Civil Society: Pattern of Cooperation, Competition and Conflict

Johansson, Hakan/Kalm, Sara (eds.): EU Civil Society: Pattern of Cooperation, Competition and Conflict

The power of informality: European Union’s engagement with non-state actors in Common Security and Defence Policy

ABSTRACTThis article examines the little explored issue of non-state actor (NSA) participation in the European Union’s (EU) Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). Despite the fact that NGOs and civil society are shielded from formal access to CSDP, EU staff in both Brussels and the missions engage with them informally. Drawing on interviews with policy-makers and NSA representatives, the article analyses the practices of the EU in its engagement with NSAs, focusing on civilian missions in Georgia and Palestine. It shows that such engagement is more intense during implementation at the level of CSDP missions rather than during policy-making in Brussels. It argues that a combination of rational choice-based (functional needs of policy-makers and intensity of NSA advocacy) and constructivist (organisational and individual cultures) explanations helps us better understand why CSDP structures open up to NSAs. The article contributes to the nascent academic and policy debate on EU–civil society cooperation in CSDP and, more broadly, to the studies of informal governance in the EU and NSA participation in international organisations.

Book Review: Europe: De-Mystification of Participatory Democracy: EU Governance and Civil Society

Book Review: Europe: De-Mystification of Participatory Democracy: EU Governance and Civil Society

Involvement of CSOs in Development Projects: The Case of the Projects Implemented Under IPA Component I in Serbia in the Period 2007-2013

Ever since civil society organizations were formally recognized as important actors in development processes, significant effort has been put forth in order to incorporate their engagement into aid delivery practices in a consistent and systematic manner. This ongoing endeavor of the international development community should be viewed in the context of the evolution of the concept of ownership, which now comprises wider range of actors, including local communities and civil society. The issue of achieving ownership in development processes is of particular importance in contexts which are still treated as transitional and supported largely by international donor assistance. One such context is subject of this thesis. A research was carried out in order to explore to what extent and in what way the civil society organizations were involved in designing and implementing projects funded through Component I of the EU’s Instrument of Pre-accession (IPA) in Serbia in the programming period 2007-2013. The purpose of the research was to provide a stakeholder-based evaluation of the current situation in terms of the level of involvement of civil society in EU-funded projects. The first part of the research was desk-based: after laying out key aspects of the EU’s pre-accession assistance and the methodology applied, a review of available documentation pertinent to the involvement of civil society in EU’s IPA projects for the period 2007-2013 follows, with information summarized in a SWOT analysis. This analysis was then reassessed and revised in the second part of the research, in view of the findings drawn from the interviews conducted with relevant stakeholders involved in above projects. Finally, the last part of the thesis summarizes key observations and conclusions that resulted from the research and proposes recommendations for an improved planning of the pre-accession assistance in Serbia and a more effective performance of all actors concerned.

European Foundation - An Opportunity at the Local Level

In February 2012 the European Commission presented a proposal for a Regulation on the Statute for a European Foundation (FE). Foundations play an important role in the EU civil society with significant public benefit contributions at national, regional and local level. This paper provides a general introduction to this tentative European legal entity – Fundatio Europaea. Special focus is given to the possible opportunities and challenges the European Foundation could present at the local and (cross-border) regional (governmental) level if this regulation was ever adopted. Authors bring in also a special focus on the national perspectives of Slovenia and Slovakia.

Bridging the Gap: How do EU-Based Civil Society Organisations Acquire Their Internal Representation?

In recent decades, the emergence and development of pan-European civil society organisations have been prominent, including those representing interests of marginalised groups and raising related social issues. Typically composed of national and European level umbrella organisations, some of these organisations have grown as important interlocutors between EU institutions and civil society, and derive legitimacy for their advocacy and lobbying activities by claiming broad representativeness. Through a comparative study of five principal EU-based civil society organisations, the present article analyses how these organisations, operating at multiple levels with their membership based on extensive geographical areas, acquire internal representation of members and beneficiaries.