The EU is made of citizens and for citizens, and that is why encouraging and facilitating their wilder involvement in the EU is of great importance. Europe is facing a challenging agenda for the years to come and it is now paramount for citizens to participate in discussions that help to shape EU policies.

EU’s Europe for Citizens Programme aims to ”contribute to citizens’ understanding of the EU, its history and diversity and to encourage the democratic participation of citizens at EU level”. It is an important instrument aimed at getting citizens to play a greater part in the development of the Union. The programme recently launched a call for proposals for projects under Strand 2: Democratic engagement and civic participation. Up to €3.7 in funding is available for civil society projects.

A Civil Society Project must include at least two of the following types of activities:

• Promotion of societal engagement and solidarity: activities promoting debate/campaigns/actions on themes of common interest in the framework of the rights and responsibilities of the Union
  citizens and making the link to the European political agenda and policy making process.
• Gathering of opinions: activities aiming at gathering the individual opinions of the citizens favouring a bottom up approach (including the use of social networks, webinars, etc.) and media literacy.
• Volunteering: activities promoting solidarity among Union citizens and beyond.

Applicants must be either public bodies or non-profit organisations with legal personality. This will be the programme’s last call for 2019.

Ireland has great track record in the Programme, with projects spanning from democratic engagement, twinning towns, historical awareness or civil participation. An interactive map of projects across all Member States in the EU is available on the European Commission’s website.

The deadline for applications is September 2nd – and all relevant documentation can be accessed via the call’s website.