MEP Sergey Lagodinsky calls on civil society to participate in the public consultation on the European Right to Associate.
The EU Commission had announced in July that it would present a legislative initiative to strengthen associations and non-profit organisations in the member states. This was the Commission’s response to the demands of the so-called ‚Lagodinsky Report‘ on the creation of a European law on associations, which was adopted by a large majority of MEPs in February this year. In the report, MEPs call for the creation of an EU-wide right to associate and for the establishment of minimum standards to protect European civil society organisations. Sergey Lagodinsky, rapporteur of the Greens/EFA group on the EU right to associate comments:
„The Commission’s announcement is a bipartisan success for the Parliament and European civil society. Now, it is important to ensure that the core concerns of our report and the wishes of civil society are accounted for in the process of drafting the legislation. This requires the active participation of civil society, already in this preparatory phase of the legislative package. Citizens, associations and foundations are called upon to give their feedback on the Commission’s plans until the end of October. This is the only way to ensure that the draft legislation adequately recognises the high value of European civil society for our vibrant democracies.“
The public consultation on the creation of the European law to associate is available on the EU Commission’s website until 28 October: