Political foundation at European level
A European political foundation, formally a political foundation at European level, informally a Eurofoundation, is a research and advocacy organization close to, but independent from a Europarty. They are funded by the European Parliament. Their purpose is to act as platforms aiming at developing forward-looking ideas and concepts for their respective political family and providing a forum where those ideas can be widely debated. There are nine Eurofoundations as of 16 March 2009.
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Timeline
2003
Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 November 2003[1] defined what a Europarty, or political party at European level, was and tightened up their regulation.
2007
That regulation was later heavily amended by Regulation (EC) No 1524/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2007.[2] That amendment provided for the earlier-floated[3] concept of a political foundation at European level, a legally separate affiliate to a Europarty created to help them disseminate their principles to a wider audience.
An initial one million euros[4] was allocated for pilot proposals, and Call For Proposals DG/EAC/29/2007 went out with a deadline of 28 September 2007.[4] Ten[5] organizations were picked (one for each Europarty[6]) and money was allocated with an expiry date of 31 August 2008.[4][7][8]
Regulations
As of 1 November 2008, the regulation governing Eurofoundations is Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 November 2003,[9] as later amended[10] under codecision (see above). That regulation's European Commission factsheet is given here.
Funding
Their total allocated funding for 2008 is €5,000,000.[6]
The Eurofoundations
Ten pilot Eurofoundations were set up in 2007/8, nine of which are still in existence as of 16 March 2009. They are as follows:
Foundation |
Address |
Europarty affiliation |
Pilot grant (€) |
Sources |
Current status |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Martens Centre | 10 Rue du Commerce, Brussels 1000, Belgium | European People's Party | 313,820 | [5] | Active | website |
Foundation for European Progressive Studies | 98 Rue du Trône, Brussels 1050, Belgium | Party of European Socialists | 286,200 | [5] | Active | website |
European Liberal Forum | Square de Meeûs 38/40, 3rd floor, 1000 Brussels, Belgium | Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party | 107,910 | [5] | Active | website |
Green European Foundation[11] | 15 Rue d'Arlon, Brussels 1050, Belgium | European Green Party | 61,450 | [5] | Active | http://www.gef.eu/ |
Institute of European Democrats | 4 Rue d'Industrie, Brussels 1000, Belgium | European Democratic Party | 51,410 | [5] | Active | website |
Transform Europe | 30 Rue du Parnasse, Brussels 1050, Belgium | Party of the European Left | 40,000 | [5] | Active | website |
EUROPA – Osservatorio sulle politiche dell'unione | 113 Via del Seminario, Rome 00186, Italy | Alliance for Europe of the Nations | 48,900 | [5] | Active | Shares an address with Osservatorio Parliamentare, whose website is here and associated foundation is here. |
Les Refondateurs Européens | 34 Rue Pasteur, Lyon 69007, France | Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe | 36,000 | [5] | Defunct | Changed its name in April 2008[12] to Association pour la Fédération Politique Européenne pour la Démocratie, whose website is here and address is Rue de la Cambre, 237, bte 4, Brussels 1150, Belgium. |
Organisation for European Interstate Cooperation | Rue Troné 113–115, Brussels 1050, Belgium | EUDemocrats | 22,530 | [5] | Active | website in 2011 OEIC replaced Foundation for European Democracy (FEUD) as the affiliated foundation of the EUDemocrats. FEUD was affiliated with EUDemocrats from 2008 to 2011. |
Coppieters Foundation | 1 Boomkwekerijstraat, Brussels 1000, Belgium | European Free Alliance | 21,280 | [5] | Active | website |
Proposed Eurofoundations
It was reported on 1 November 2008 that Declan Ganley had registered a company in Dublin called the Libertas Foundation Ltd[13] and that it was intended "to act as a European Political Foundation for the Libertas Party".[13] Ganley attempted to get EU recognition and funding of €111,000 for the Libertas Foundation in February 2009,[14] but the attempt was rejected[14] because its board members were all from one member state[14] and the foundation name was the same as the aspirant Europarty[14] also founded by Ganley. The same meeting of the Bureau of the European Parliament that rejected the Libertas foundation but (momentarily) recognised the Libertas party also defunded the Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe (AIDE).[14]
The foundation affiliated to the newly created Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists is New Direction.
See also
References
- "EUR-Lex – 32003R2004 – EN". Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- Regulation (EC) No 1524/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2007.
- EU in drive to make Brussels more political euobserver.com 29 May 2007
- European Commission > Citizenship > Pilot projects > Full Call For Proposals DG/EAC/29/2007
- European Commission > Citizenship > Pilot projects > Selection results – Call 29/2007
- Press Release IP/07/1953, Brussels, 18 December 2007 europa.eu
- Details of the process were published here Archived 22 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine on the European Commission website
- European Commission > Citizenship > Pilot projects > Calls for Proposals > Pilot projects for European political foundations Archived 22 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- "EUROPA". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- "EUR-Lex – 2007_130 – EN – EUR-Lex". Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- "Structure". Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- Search of the French government's Les Journaux Officiels for WALDEC W691068655 Archived 20 July 2011 at archive.today
- "Ganley registers Libertas as a European political party" Irish Times, 1 November 2008
- "Parliament says 'Yes' then 'No' to funding for Libertas", European Voice, 5 February 2009
External links
- Martens Centre website
- Foundation for European Progressive Studies website
- European Liberal Forum blog
- Institute of European Democrats website
- Transform Europe website
- Coppieters Foundation website