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Overview of News

4th Online Democracy Reform Conversation

The fourth edition of Democracy Conversations featured the conversation between the Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs Tiago Antunes and two of the Observatory experts – Senior Advisor at Bertelsmann Stiftung Dr. Dominik Hierlemann and Associate Director and Head of the European Politics and Institutions Programme at EPC Dr. Corina Stratulat.

March 20, 2024

Connecting ECI and European Citizens Panels – from two separate instruments towards an impactful integration.

Could integrating the existing instruments of EU citizen participation, such as the European Citizens Initiative (ECI) and European Citizens Panels (ECP), lead to greater citizen engagement, and what practical steps could be taken to achieve this synergy and enhance their impact?

March 19, 2024

Participatory democracy at the EU level: How to break the invisible ceiling?

Citizen participation is the instrument that could help the EU to confront ongoing permacrisis. However, EU and national decision-makers refrain from using its promising potential. Our new paper discusses why this is the case and what could be done to break through identified obstacles.

March 11, 2024

Invitation: Democracy Reform Conversation – Paving the way towards EU reform and enlargement

In light of a fundamentally changing geopolitical and geo-economic environment, including a potential enlargement to 30+ member states, more and more voices are calling for a reform of the European Union (EU). However, EU institutions and member states neither agree on the process nor the level of ambition when it comes to preparing the Union for the future.

March 1, 2024

Policy Brief 1|2024: The EU’s participatory enlargement

Future enlargement is a historic opportunity for the EU to reform, and not only institutionally. It is also a chance to become a genuine Union of citizens by involving citizens differently, far earlier and more effectively. Our newly published policy brief discusses concrete steps to achieve that.

January 31, 2024

3rd Online Democracy Reform Conversation

The third edition of Democracy Conversations brought together eminent experts to discuss the biggest challenge currently on the EU agenda – the EU reform. The debate on the EU reform is evolving rapidly, and more and more concrete proposals shape it.

October 31, 2023