Organized civil society and european governance

Objective

Social movement-related organisations and their sympathisers can provide useful new ideas to the policy process. They can represent civil society at various levels of governance, and notably at the EU level where a lack of democratic accountability and of a direct referent in civil society can undermine their effectiveness. However, they encounter obstacles to an effective performance. Lack of sensibility to their advocacy may contribute to their neglect. Lack of resources may limit their effectiveness. We focus on their role in policy responses to recent social controversies in environmental, anti-racist and regional policy, where movement organisations have competed for influence with other interests. Concentrating on two issues per policy field, we seek to examine their accountability and representativeness, their operating mechanisms and the factors that hinder or enable them at various levels of governance.

Programme(s)

• FP5-HUMAN POTENTIAL - Programme for research, technological development and demonstration on "Improving the human research potential and the socio-economic knowledge base" (1998-2002)

Topic(s)

• 1.4.1.-4. - Key action Socio-Economic Knowledge Base

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TRENTO*

Address

Via G. Verdi 26
38100 Trento
Italy

Participants (10)

FONDATION NATIONALE DES SCIENCES POLITIQUES

France

Address

Rue De La Chaise 10
75007 Paris

HELLENIC OPEN UNIVERSITY

Greece

Address

Papaflessa An Ypsilantou Stree
26222 Patras

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY

Spain

Address

S/n,c/o Facultad De Ciencias Sociales Y De La Comunica
48080 Bilbao

UNIVERSIDADE DE SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

Spain

Address

Pazo De San Xerome - Plaza Do Obradoiro S/n
15701 Santiago De Compostela

UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN

Belgium

Address

Place Montesquieu 7
1348 Louvain-la-neuve

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SODERTORN

Sweden

Address

Alfred Nobels Alle, 7 Moas Bage Hus E, 443 Flemmin
141 04 Huddinge

UNIVERSITY ELTE OF BUDAPEST

Hungary

Address

Egyetem Ter 1-3
1364 Budapest

UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX

United Kingdom

Address

Wivenhoe Park
CO4 3SQ Colchester

UNIVERSITY OF SILESIA

Poland

Address

Bankowa 11
40 007 Katowice

UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING

United Kingdom

Address

FK9 4LA Stirling