The Plausible Role of the European Union in Developing Civil Society Networks in Southeast Asia

In recent years, Norway has emerged as an important destination of asylum for refugees. During the refugee crisis of 2015, Norway, with a total population of slightly above 5 million, received more than 31,000 applications for asylum. This was close to the total number of asylum seekers it had received in the last three years. This article discusses Norway’s history as an asylum destination as well as policies for the protection and integration of refugees. It focuses on how the refugee crisis of 2015 unfolded in Norway. The domestic political discourse and the response of civil society organizations are analysed. The article also looks at the changes introduced in the asylum policy and the role of the European Union in determining Norway’s response to the crisis.

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How Much Is Enough? Explaining the Continuous Transparency Conflict in TTIP

Politics and Governance ◽

10.17645/pag.v5i3.1024 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 16-28 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Niels Gheyle ◽

Ferdi De Ville

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Content Analysis ◽

Civil Society ◽

European Commission ◽

Civil Society Organizations ◽

Central Issue ◽

The European Union ◽

Transatlantic Trade ◽

Trade And Investment

Transparency has been a central issue in the debate regarding the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), especially on the side of the European Union (EU). The lack of transparency in the negotiating process has been one of the main criticisms of civil society organizations (CSOs). The European Commission (EC) has tried to gain support for the negotiations through various ‘transparency initiatives’. Nonetheless, criticism by CSOs with regard to TTIP in general and the lack of transparency in specific remained prevalent. In this article, we explain this gap between various transparency initiatives implemented by the EC in TTIP and the expectations on the side of European CSOs. We perform a content analysis of position papers on transparency produced by CSOs, mainly in response to a European Ombudsman consultation, complemented by a number of official documents and targeted interviews. We find that the gap between the TTIP transparency initiatives and the expectations of CSOs can be explained by different views on what constitutes legitimate trade governance, and the role of transparency, participation, and accountability herein.

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Participation, Dialogue, and Civic Engagement: Understanding the Role of Organized Civil Society in Promoting Active Citizenship in the European Union

Framing Civic Engagement, Political Participation and Active Citizenship in Europe ◽

10.4324/9781315738260-3 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 29-50

Author(s):

Cristiano Bee ◽

Roberta Guerrina

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Civil Society ◽

Civic Engagement ◽

Active Citizenship ◽

The European Union

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'Communicating Europe': The Role of Organised Civil Society

Journal of Contemporary European Research ◽

10.30950/jcer.v4i1.83 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 18-31

Author(s):

Elizabeth Monaghan

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Civil Society ◽

Empirical Research ◽

Communication Strategy ◽

Democratic Legitimacy ◽

The European Union ◽

Interest Representation ◽

Long Line ◽

The Eu

The European Commission’s new ‘communication strategy’ has been presented as a radically new way of bridging the gap between the citizens of the member states and the European Union (EU) institutions. However it should also be seen as the latest in a long line of attempts to solve the problems of democratic legitimacy from which the EU is said to suffer. The rhetoric of the strategy is infused with highly commendable objectives and desirable principles stating how effective communication can help the EU connect more closely with citizens, and calling upon all relevant stakeholders – specifically civil society – to contribute to this project. Democratic theories of civil society provide support for the idea that civil society can play a linkage role between citizens and political structures. But empirical research on processes of interest representation in the EU casts doubt on whether organisations purporting to represent various strands within European civil society are able and willing to help bring citizens and the EU closer together. Turning the empirical focus to the organisations themselves it becomes apparent that simply invoking civil society involvement in ‘communicating Europe’ is not a sufficient guarantee of success. Instead, the nature of the communication activities, the characteristics of the organisations in question, and the issue of funding all have implications for the role of civil society in communicating Europe.

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