Civil Society Meaningful engagement platform
Over the years, at CONCORD together with civil society partners around the world we have produced a number of resources on civil society participation in EU decision-making, specifically in the context of international cooperation. Our aim is to encourage a shift towards EU cooperation and co-creation with civil society in all its diversity, recognising the value of partnering and engaging with civil society to shape equal, just and inclusive societies in a sustainable world.
Our latest paper “Building partnerships through meaningful consultation: 7 practices for civil society participation in EU decision-making”, published in 2022, outlines what we mean by meaningful civil society participation, and has sought to support the EU in its efforts to improve its dialogue with civil society.
This meaningful engagement platform builds on this past work and seeks to:
Share knowledge with civil society on how to engage with the EU, through various resources
Gather and assess civil society’s experience of the quality of the European Union’s consultations*, in order to formulate evidence-based recommendations
What do we mean by consultations?
A consultation by the European Union is a formal process where the EU institutions ask for the opinions, feedback, or input of different groups (stakeholders) on upcoming laws, policies, or initiatives. They help ensure transparency and legitimacy in EU decision-making by incorporating diverse perspectives, including those from CSOs. This survey does not measure informal engagement, such as bilateral meetings which is also an important tool for a dialogue.
Help shapein EU decision-making
Based on the “7 practices” paper, we created a survey to help us gather data and strengthen our advocacy for more meaningful, safe, and inclusive EU consultations. This survey intends to assess civil society’s experience of the quality and meaningfulness of the European Union’s consultations for the period 2025-2026. It will help us gather collective, evidence-based recommendations for future consultations and will support our dialogue with the European Union on where it can focus its efforts to ensure meaningful, safe and inclusive participation.
Why sharing your input matters:
- Your experience contributes to shape a stronger, collective voice for civil society.
- Your feedback helps identify advocacy and capacity-sharing needs.
- Your insights support a long-term push for stronger civil society participation at EU level.
It only takes a few minutes
And it contributes to building a stronger and meaningful EU engagement with civil society.
Have you recently taken part in an EU consultation?
Meaningful Engagement Handbook: Civil society perspectives on EU Delegations consultations
This paper brings together the experiences of civil society in EU consultations, shared with us through the platform.
In it, you will find the experiences of civil society in EU consultations and concrete recommendations for supporting and strengthening the ongoing dialogue between CSOs and the EU in Brussels and in delegations.
Do you have a consultation soon? You can download our two-pager with “small steps to strengthen meaningful engagement”: a short list of good practices and concrete, actionable recommendations!
Manual para una participación significativa: perspectivas de la sociedad civil sobre las consultas de las delegaciones de la UE
Este documento reúne las experiencias de la sociedad civil en las consultas de la UE, transmitidas a través de la plataforma.
En él encontraréis las experiencias de la sociedad civil en las consultas de la UE y recomendaciones para apoyar y reforzar el diálogo continuo entre las OSC y la UE, tanto en Bruselas como en las delegaciones.
¿Tiene una consulta pronto? Puede descargar nuestro documento de dos páginas con «pasos concretos para promover la participación significativa»: una breve lista de buenas prácticas y recomendaciones concretas y aplicables!
Meaningful Engagement Handbook: Civil society perspectives on EU Delegations consultations
Ce document rassemble les expériences de la société civile dans le cadre des consultations de l’UE, partagées via la plateforme d’engagement significatif.
Vous y trouverez les expériences de la société civile dans les consultations de l’UE et des recommandations pour soutenir et renforcer le dialogue continu entre les OSC et l’UE, tant à Bruxelles qu’au sein des délégations.
Vous avez une consultation bientôt ? Vous pouvez télécharger notre document de deux pages avec des « petites étapes pour renforcer l’engagement significative » : une courte liste de bonnes pratiques et de recommandations concrètes et applicables!
Resources
Data protection and privacy policy
All survey responses are confidential and used exclusively to inform CONCORD’s research and advocacy efforts. Data will be securely stored and processed in accordance with EU data protection regulations. No personal or identifying information will be published or shared without explicit consent.