European Forum of Citizens’ Advice Services
This conference is a one day event which aims to facilitate an informal dialogue between the European and local levels and strives to prompt an improvement in the enforcement of EU citizens’ free movement rights.
This event seeks to bring together, by personal invitation, representatives of citizens’ advice organisations and other NGOs with experience in dealing, at a local level, with the problems of enforcing European free movement rights for EU citizens and members of their family. We aim to facilitate an informal dialogue between the two main geographical levels, namely the European and the local level:
- on one side, representatives of the EU dealing directly with citizens’ complaints and legislation enforcement in the different Commission departments; representatives of specialized EU networks such as EURES, SOLVIT, and the European consumer centres; members of relevant committees in the European Parliament and the ombudsman’s office; and
- on the other side, representatives from the local citizens’ advice services which are involved in out Flowchart exchange program, as well as academic and practicing lawyers.
The event will follow Chatham House rules. Thus people, regardless of their position, work together and identify opportunities for cooperation and common ground regarding what needs to be done to improve the application of European law in this area. The participants will receive a file with the main relevant Commission documents, such as the Annual Report on the application of EU law, as well as reports by other institutions.
At the centre of this informal brainstorming meeting will be three ECAS initiatives:
- The report of the high level panel on better enforcement of European citizens’ free movement rights;
- Flowchart – an exchange programme, involving citizens’ advice bureaux from different Member States, with the aim of enhancing learning and labour mobility; and
- The proposal to create a European civil society house the services of which will include help to citizens to enforce their European rights.
The report of the high level panel recommended the appointment of a new senior Commissioner responsible for European citizenship and for the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Such a function has been created in the new Commission. What impact will this have on the work of the Institution? Will it lead to greater synergy within the Commission, where the responsibility for citizens’ rights has been scattered across different departments? What impact will this have on the work of the other Institutions? An opening panel of leading politicians will consider these issues and provide a context for the subsequent debate.
The rationale of the event will be to follow the logical sequence of needs of EU citizens on the move. As people first want well structured information and advice, this will be dealt with by our next panel. Finally, if problems occur, people expect that these can be settled through non-judicial or judicial remedies. The afternoon session will deal with recommendations to improve the enforcement of EU law.