Civil Liberties and Stockholm Programme

Starting in November 2010, this project proposes a series of deliberative democracy panels in six European countries centred around crucial themes in civil liberties and citizenship rights.

The six participating countries are: The United Kingdom, France, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, and Spain. The work is organised around a process of regional, national, and transnational summits. In the first stage three regional panels take place in medium-sized towns in each of the 6 countries participating in the project. These first meetings bring together around 50 people in each locality. In the second stage a Citizens’ Panel takes place in each of the participant countries, bringing together 200 citizens each. Finally, a closing Forum takes place in Brussels bringing together 250 people including representatives from the 6 participating countries. The series of panels is accompanied by hearings in the European Parliament to directly connect the project and its participants with European policy-making. The resulting final recommendations are presented in a public event in the European Parliament.

The themes of the panels are structured around the key ares covered by the Stockholm process, and in particular the two areas of Fundamental Rights of Citizenship and Migration and Asylum. The topics selected are: 1) Civil status across borders 2) protection of basic rights across borders 3) protection of freedom of information and privacy 4) professional and educational qualifications across borders 5) migration policy 6) european citizenship and electoral rights

Supported by EACEA