Improve the inclusion of mobile EU citizens and their political and societal participation - REC-RCIT-CITI-AG-2017

Date de clôture : 29 juin 2017  
APPEL À PROJET CLÔTURÉ

Scope:

1. Priorities and activities to be funded

1.1. Priorities

The aim is to support Member States' efforts to address challenges arising from intra-EU mobility whilst also promoting and facilitating the effective exercise of the free movement rights by EU citizens and their family members. Project activities should foster the successful inclusion and participation of mobile EU citizens and their family members in the host EU country's civic and political life and their participation in the democratic life of the EU, particularly with a view to the 2019 European elections. Action grants will complement the work the Commission is funding in this domain following the publication of the 2017 Citizenship report, and of the work being funded through the European Parliament's pilot projects on e-voting and e-democracy.

1.2. Description of the activities

Development, exchanges and dissemination of best practices amongst national/regional/local authorities and civil society organisations. Support understanding of relevant national/regional/local rules and their interaction with EU citizenship rights. Directly support the participation of mobile EU citizens through information and advice. This could involve in particular (NB. The list is indicative and focusses on the intended outcome of the projects):

• inclusion policies / best practices which do not solely focus on one profile of EU mobile citizens but take into account both the different needs of these EU citizens as well as the challenges big/smaller cities, are facing when welcoming EU mobile citizens (e.g. housing, schooling, inclusion to the job market, involvement in community decision-making and volunteering etc.) and which promote multiculturalism.

• ways of fostering and supporting engagement in public debate (including through e.g. access to cross-border political information and facilitation of access to local political information) and participation in local and EU elections, including of young people and EU citizens living in another EU country than their own. This can be achieved through digital, interactive, innovative tools and / or best practices (debates, campaigns, initiatives, information, events, administrative practice etc.).

• best practices / toolkits for newly arriving EU mobile citizens and their families, including on helping them settle down, find a job/training, participate in democratic life in the local community and create links in/with the local community.

• dissemination of practical information and advice on what are the rights, including voting rights, and responsibilities of EU mobile citizens in a given country/region/city and assistance in seeing them through.

1.3. Expected results

• increased capacity of national, regional and local experts to enable and facilitate the participation of mobile EU citizens in their host Member State;

• increased capacity of national, regional and local experts to promote and welcome EU mobile citizens;

• strengthened cooperation and exchange of information between competent national, regional and local authorities in relation to enabling mobile EU citizens' participation in the host MS, including in democratic life (e.g. voting and standing as candidates) and challenges related thereto (e.g. eliminating dual voting);

• improved knowledge on the legislation and administrative practices related to enabling democratic participation for mobile EU citizens;

• alignment of the administrative practices in relation to the applicable EU rules in different Member States;

• improvement in the information provided to support the participation of EU citizens in the political and social life of their host communities.