There are six organisations involved in the Alter Citizens Project. These are Access Info Europe – based in Spain, AITEC – based in France, Environmental Law Service – based in the Czech Republic, Friends of the Earth Europe – based in Belgium, Health Action International – based in the Netherlands, and SpinWatch – based in the UK.
The Alter Citizens project is a partnership between varying organisations specialising in health, environment and the regulation of lobbying, with the central aim behind the project being to increase the transparency of the EU and to allow for greater and more meaningful public participation in EU decision-making.
The Alter Citizens Project served to bring the voices of EU citizens to decision makers, and strived to create a two-way dialogue between public officials and members of the public. Groups of citizens from the multiplicity of events being held on the national level by the project partners were invited on a trip to Brussels to visit the EU buildings and meet officials at the EU Citizens central event.
From workshops about the EU’s role in water and shale exploitation at the Alternative World Water Forum in Marseille 2012, to scoping meetings in the Czech Republic for the creation of civil society coalitions, the variety of activities carried out under this project will empower citizens to claim their right to participate as equals in the European Union. The central event was held in Brussels on 16 November 2012, at which citizens from the countries participating in the EU Citizens project finally come together to share experiences and to make recommendations for increasing the participation of citizens in the decision-making of the European Union.
For more information, please visit: http://www.eu-citizens.org/index.php