Common appeal to European leaders by European Civil Society Organisations and Trade Unions
21 March 2017
As we mark the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, we have a momentous opportunity to take stock of how far Europe has come – and how far we still have to go in order to offer a sustainable and prosperous future to everyone in Europe. It is an opportunity that we call on you, the leaders of Europe, to seize with both hands. We call on you to show leadership, vision and courage to set Europe on the path to a sustainable future which realises the rights of all people and respects planetary boundaries.
We must not fail to appreciate how far Europe has come since 1957, when we were a handful of nations determined to emerge from the ashes of World War II and to move towards a peaceful and united common future. Today, the European Union is the largest and most successful peace initiative of our time, a place where Europeans find richness in cultural differences and strength in common values and aspirations, enjoying greater stability, safety and prosperity than in many other places in the world.
But we cannot afford to be complacent: much still needs to be done to construct a sustainable world for current and future generations. While we have seen much progress, the promise of those early days has still not been fully achieved and we have entered an era in which the values at the very heart of Europe – democracy and participation, equality and social justice, solidarity and sustainability, respect for the rule of law and human rights – are being undermined. Citizens are questioning the raison d’être of the European Union, the legitimacy of governments and mainstream politics, and the ability of existing governance structures to respond to society’s most pressing challenges. As a result, trust in public institutions is in decline.
In these uncertain times, European citizens seek a stronger focus on those core ‘European values’, not a reduced one. They seek economic, social and environmental well-being. Economic well-being in the form of prosperity for all and the redistribution of wealth. Social well-being in the provision of quality, affordable services for all and a reinforcing of the social fabric which binds us together. Environmental well-being residing in a healthy natural environment that sustains all life on Earth and protects our clean water and air.
We therefore call on you, leaders of Europe, to move away from an economic model which has widened inequalities and rather to invest in a ‘social market economy’ that works for the benefit of all people. With poverty and social exclusion at unacceptably high levels, we must return to more inclusive economic policies which ensure that Europe’s prosperity is shared, without harming the planet.
We call on you to uphold our core values and invest in employment and education based on critical thinking in order to defend our open, democratic societies and to address the sense of insecurity felt by many. We call on you, leaders of Europe, to ensure that gender equality, human rights, freedom of religion, democracy and the rule of law are fully implemented and upheld, both at EU and national level. We want to see a more hospitable Europe where everyone’s contribution is welcome and migration is recognised as a boon to society, not a drain.
Europe also needs to play its part in tackling global challenges. Climate change in particular is an existential risk to our world and it must be tackled not only for environmental reasons, but also to prevent the escalation of conflict, hunger, and forced migration.
Building on our call for ‘A New Europe for People, Planet and Prosperity for All’ (September 2016), we are seizing the opportunity of the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome to reaffirm our belief in European integration and to offer concrete proposals for the EU Heads of State and Government as they consider the future of Europe.
United, we call for:
- A Europe that promotes and protects the civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights of everyone and supports those beyond its borders to realise their rights;
- The delivery of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, by putting the Sustainable Development Goals and the principles that underpin it at the core of EU and national policy-making;
- The full implementation of the Paris Agreement by enhancing energy efficiency and accelerating the just and sustainable transition to clean and affordable renewable energy in order to keep global warming well below 2°C and pursuing efforts to keep it to 1.5°C;
- A strengthening of our representative and participatory democracy, with distinct space for people’s participation beyond elections, enabling a diverse civil society to flourish;
- A strengthening of education as a public responsibility that offers lifelong learning for all in order to develop active citizenship, critical thinking, social inclusion and an awareness of sustainable development and human rights;
- A just transition for workers and industrial regions from the current economic model to a modern, vibrant, green and socially just economy in which our human and natural capital is cherished;
- A European Social Model that provides full protection to all workers, all consumers and all people living in the EU; one that reverses the wealth gap and reduces poverty and social exclusion;
- A European Union with a strong social rights pillar, which ensures quality employment and fair pay, and addresses inequalities between women and men, discrimination against children and youth or based on race, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic status, age, disability, minority or other status.
In the face of a world that is changing faster than ever before, European unity and solidarity are just as important now as they were 60 years ago. Solidarity brought us together and solidarity is the only way forward. None of the current challenges can be solved by one nation or one group of people alone.
However, there is an urgent need for the European Union and its institutions to reconnect with the realities, dreams and hopes of its citizens if the long-term relevance and survival of our Union are to be secured. Now is the time to rethink the direction in which we are travelling, build on our achievements and lay the foundations for the next 60 years of European integration.
We expect you, as the leaders of Europe, to do just that: to have the courage and the vision to lead the transition to a just, sustainable, democratic and inclusive Europe. We expect you to listen to the people of Europe and to use the occasion of the Rome Summit to make a strong, joint commitment to a better, more sustainable future.
Signatories
WWF on behalf of the Green10
ETUC
CONCORD
European Movement International
European Women’s Lobby
European Youth Forum
ACT Alliance EU
ActionAid
ACV-CSC
AEGEE / European Students' Forum
AGE Platform Europe
Agir Ensemble pour les Droits de l'Homme
AIACE - Ass.EU Institutions former staff
AIIG – Associazione Italiana Insegnanti di Geografia
Albanian National Youth Network (ANYN)
ALDA - European Association for Local Democracy
Alianza por la Solidaridad
All Ears
AOI
Associació CEN
Association for Natural Medicine in Europe-ANME
Association Žmergo
Babylon Couleurs
Berufsörderungsinstitut Oberösterreich- Institute for Vocational Advancement Upper Austria
Better Regulation Watchdog Network
BeyondCSRNet
BIOM
BirdLife Austria
BirdLife Europe and Central Asia
BirdLife Finland
BirdLife Ireland
BirdLife Malta
BLOOM ASSOCIATION
Brod Ecological Society -BED
BSPB/BirdLife
Bulgarian platform of the EWL
Bureau for the Implementation of Equal Treatment BUG
Carbon Market Watch
CARE International
cats2cats z.s.
CEE Bankwatch Network
CEEweb for Biodiversity
Centre of Resources for Social Inclusion CRIS
Centro Turistico Studentesco - CTS
Cercle de Coopération des ONG de développement asbl
Českomoravská konfederace odborových svazů
Change Partnership
CIDSE
Clean Air Action Group
ClientEarth
Climate Action Network Europe
Climate Action Network France - Réseau Action Climat France
COFACE Families Europe
Collective Again Islamophobia in Belgium (CCIB asbl)
Comité 21
Comité Stop TAFTA Luxembourg
Concord Italia
Confederatia Nationala Sindicala "Cartel ALFA"
Confederation of Labour PODKREPA, Bulgaria
Coordination SUD
Corporate Social Responsibility Europe
CROSOL
Culture Action Europe
Dansk Ornitologisk Forening BirdLife Danmark
De Omslag
Democratic Women's League (Germany)
Deutscher Naturschutzring - Dachverband der deutschen Natur-, Tier- und Umweltschutzorganisationen
Dóchas
Don Bosco International
DOPPS-BirdLife Slovenia
Društvo Ekologi brez meja
E3G
EcoPolítica
Eesti Ornitoloogiaühing - BirdLife Estonia
Enaip
ENAR - European Network Against Racism
ENPA – Ente Nazionale Protezione Animali
ENSIE - European Network of Social Integration Enterprises
ERGO Network
ESAN
Estonian Human Rights Centre
EU-CORD
Eurochild
Eurodiaconia
European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB)
EuroHealthNet
EUROMIL
European Anti Poverty Network
European Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (CESI)
European Disability Forum
European Environmental Bureau
European Friends of Armenia
European Humanist Federation
European Movement Albania
European Movement in Belgium
European Movement Denmark
European Movement France
European Movement Germany
European Movement Italy
European Movement Macedonia
European Movement Montenegro
European Movement Norway
European Movement Poland
European Movement Serbia
European Movement Spain
European Movement Switzerland
European Movement Turkey
European Parents' Association
EUROPEAN PARTNERSHIP FOR DEMOCRACY (EPD)
European Race & Imagery Foundation
European Water Pact
Fair Trade Advocacy Office
Federació d'Organitzacions Catalanes de Gent Gran, Dones i Família
Federazione Pro Natura
FEICAT – Empreses d’Inserció de Catalunya
FIACAT (International Federation of ACAT)
FIAB - Federazione Italiana Amici della Bicicletta
Finance Watch
FOCSIV
okus Czech Republic
Fondation EURACTIV #Media4EU
Free Trade Union Confederation of Latvia (LBAS)
Friends of the Earth Europe
Fundación Jóvenes y Desarrollo
Fundacja "Rozwój TAK - Odkrywki NIE"
Fundacja Żagle Europa Świat
GENDER5+
Generation Earth
Geremek Foundation
Gilliane Le Gallic
Green 10
Greenpeace
Grup de Natura Freixe
Gruppi di Intervento Giuridico
Gruppi di Ricerca Ecologica
Gypsy Council East of England
HEAL (Health and Environment Alliance)
Health and Trade Network
Housing Europe
ILGA-Europe - European Region of the International LGBTI Association
Initiatitv Liewensufank asbl
INTEGRO ASSOCIATION
International Disability and Development Consortium
International Federation of Medical Students' Associations
International Partnership for Human Rights
Internationaler Bund (IB)
Internationaler Bund e.V., Thiemo Fojkar
INU - Istituto Nazionale di Urbanistica
JEF Europe - Young European Federalists
KISA - Action for Equality, Support, Antiracism
Konexe
Kosovar Civil Society Foundation
La Fédération des entreprises d'insertion
Landsorganisationen i Sverige (LO)
Latvian Fund for Nature
Lifelong Learning Platform
Light for the World
Light for the World International
Lipu - BirdLife Italy
Lithuanian women's lobby organization
Lobby Europeo de Mujeres LEM España
Make Mothers Matter EU Delegation
Marevivo
merowa junior school
Migrant Tales
Mouvement Ecologique
Mountain Wilderness
NABU, the German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union
Name of organisation as you want it to appear on statement
National Youth Council of Ireland
Naturfreunde Internationale
Naturschutzbund Deutschland
Natuurpunt vzw
Nederlandse Vrouwen Raad (Dutch Women's Council)
Netherlands Helsinki Committee
OceanCare
Oxfam International
Pan African Movement for Justice
Pasaules Dabas Fonds
PICUM - Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants
Plan International
PODKREPA Youth Network
Polska Fundacja im. Roberta Schumana
POLSKA RADA RUCHU EUROPEJSKIEGO
Project AWARE
Protos
Public Institution Roma Community Centre
Quercus- Associação Nacional de Conservação da Natureza
Radio Afrika TV
RES asbl
Rangers d’Italia
Roma Active Albania
Roma Association Zagreb and Zagreb County
Save the Children
Sciaena
Seas At Risk
ŠENT - Slovenian Association for Mental Health
SEO/BirdLife
ShareAction
SIGEA – Società Italiana di Geologia Ambientale
SLOGA, Slovenian NGDO platform for development cooperation and humanitarian aid
Social Platform
Social Firms England
Society for Sustainable Development Design
SOLETERRE ONLUS
Soroptimist International Great Britain & Ireland
SOS/BirdLife Slovakia
Stichting Ocan
Stop TAFTA Luxembourg
Terre des Hommes
The Cezch Helsinski Committee
The Finnish NGDO Platform to the EU, Kehys
The Latvian Anglers Association
The Oslo Times
The Salvation Army, EU Affairs Office
Transparency International EU
Transport & Environment
Touring Club Italiano - TCI
TURKEY RETIRED PERSONS
Türkiye emekliler derneği
UIL
UNI Europa
Union Sindical Obrera (USO)
UNITEE
VAM Foundation (women and labormarket)
VAS - Verdi Ambiente e Società
Vogelbescherming Nederland
Volonteurope
WECF
WECF France
Whale and Dolphin Conservation
Women for Water Partnership
Women's international league for peace and freedom/WILPF
World Future Council
World Vision
WWF European Policy Office
WWF-Belgium
Youth for Human Rights Denmark
Zeleni Osijek
Zero Waste International
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