The Stockholm Programme

The Stockholm Programme is the five-year plan proposed by the European Council and adopted by the European Commission relating to the Justice and Home Affairs acquis for the 2010-2014 period. This document, developed under the Swedish Presidency of the European Council in 2009, addresses new forms of cooperation and integration in the areas of freedom, security and justice in the European Union.
 
 European Alternative's selection of key themes relating to the Stockholm Programme
Among the long list of priorities identified in the Stockholm Programme, European Alternatives finds some issues of particular interest and relevance to its work. We have therefore identified six themes that we intend to focus on through this project:
 

• Migration and common asylum policy

A large chunk of the Stockholm Programme (Chapters 5 and 6) focuses on migration issues. At a time when anti-immigration far-right parties have been gaining support across the continent, we believe that dialogue should take place over economic migration and asylum-seeking in the so-called “fortress Europe”. Discussion should focus on how to create a more harmonised integration between old and new inhabitants of the European Union

• The rights of same-sex and cohabitating couples

Section 2.3 of the Stockholm Programme specifies that measures to fight discrimination and homophobia should “be vigorously pursued”. Moreover, section 3.1.2 highlights how “mutual recognition should be extended to fields that are essential to everyday life, e.g. […] matrimonial property rights”. However, the situation for same-sex couples as well as cohabitating straight couples is fragmented across the EU. While it can be argued that the lack of legislation to regulate same-sex unions is a form of homophobic discrimination in itself, the non-transferability of same-sex marriages or other contracts (i.e. the French PACS) to other member states poses serious questions also in terms of freedom of movement, children and family rights.

• Freedom of expression and information

While freedom of information is mostly intended as increased protection of personal data and privacy in the Stockholm Programme, European Alternatives wishes to explore another angle. As the Stockholm Programme envisage the respect and implementation of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, we would like to focus on Article 11, which states.
 
Freedom of expression and information
1. Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers.
2. The freedom and pluralism of the media shall be respected.
 
As the situation in a number of member states is far from what expressed in Article 11, European Alternatives considers the discussion on these issues of paramount importance.
 

• Legality and the rule of law

The Stockholm Programme states that
 
“An internal security strategy should be developed in order to further improve security in the Union and thus protect the lives and safety of European citizens and tackle organised crime, terrorism and other threats”
 
While the protection of citizens from terrorist threats should be actively fought, many Europeans are aware that the damage that organised crime has on society it is as devastating as a terrorist plot. Organised crime is often entangled with local and national politics and it hinders the economic and social development of several member states. Achieving a climate of legality and respect for the rule of law is an indispensable requirement not only for personal security, but for social development, too. With networks of organised crime assuming more and more a transeuropean dimension, discussions are needed on actions to fight local and transnational mafias  to (re)establish the rule of law at every level of social, economic and political life.
 

• Labour rights

The document containing the European Commission's response to the Council's Stockholm Programme, begins with these words
 
“People want to live in a European Union that is prosperous and peaceful, where their rights are respected and their security protected. They want to be able to travel freely, and to move temporarily or permanently to another European country in order to study, to work, to found a family, to set up a business or to retire. But they are disturbed to see that the context of stability and security that has prevailed in Europe in recent years is threatened by worldwide developments”
 
European Alternatives thinks that discussions over the effective implementation of the EU fundamental rights is of great importance. The reference to “worldwide developments”, whether it is meant to address issues of security in terms of terrorism, or whether it refers to the global financial crisis and its effect on the labour market and welfare state, should be explored. As the EU finds itself struggling with low economic growth, high unemployment and welfare state cuts, what do Europeans consider to be the way forward for a more just while competitive labour economy?
 

• Roma Rights

The initial document by the Swedish Presidency presenting the Stockholm Programme states that
 
“All forms of discrimination remain unacceptable. The EU and the Member States must make a concerted effort to fully integrate vulnerable groups, in particular the Roma community, into society by promoting their inclusion in the education system and labour market and by taking action to prevent violence against them”
 
Unfortunately, the reality in several member states – in the Western as well as the Eastern part of the EU- is very close to what is described as unacceptable by the Council of the European Union. European Alternatives finds it important to enhance discussion on the situation of Roma and other ethnic minorities in Europe. For these reasons, we intend to coordinate citizen panels in countries in which the integration of Roma would benefit from improvements, like France and Bulgaria, as well as countries that represent relatively successful stories like Spain.
 
European Alternatives' approach to transnational citizen consultation: People, Power, Participation
 
European Alternatives welcomes the multiple references to participation and consultation with citizens found in the Stockholm Programme. Among these,
 
“Citizens and representative associations will have an increased opportunity to make known and publicly exchange their views in all areas of Union action in accordance with article 11 TEU. This will reinforce the open and democratic character of the European Union for the benefit of its people”
 
“The time taken to respond to the needs of citizens and businesses must also be shorter in the future. The Union should focus on identifying the needs of citizens and practitioners and the appropriate responses”
 
“The European Council encourages the Union's Institutions, within the framework of their competences, to hold an open, transparent and regular dialogue with representative associations and civil society. The Commission should put in place specific mechanisms, such as the European Forum for Justice, to step up dialogue in areas where such mechanisms are appropriate”
 
European Alternatives wants to make itself a motor of active citizenship at a European level and has designed a project that uses forms of deliberative democracy to discuss some of the issues raised by the Stockholm Programme. While recognising the importance of exchange of opinions in the form of a debate, European Alternatives wants to go further and develop a democratic mechanism to elaborate practical proposals to be submitted to the EU institutions. European Alternatives welcomes the fact that the Lisbon Treaty introduces the possibility of the European Citizens Initiative. The treaty states that “not less than one million citizens who are nationals of a significant number of Member States may take the initiative of inviting the Commission, within the framework of its powers, to submit any appropriate proposal on matters where citizens consider that a legal act of the Union is required for the purpose of implementing the Treaties”[1].
 
For these reasons, European Alternatives has devised a project aimed at consulting citizens and their representative organisations to collectively design a number of proposals for citizenship initiatives. The project is run by European Alternatives with the support of the European Commission and will take place in six member states (the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, and Spain).
 
The work is organised around a multi-staged process of deliberative consultation across the above countries: 

• In the first stage, three regional panels take place in medium-sized towns in each of the 6 countries participating to the project. These first meetings bring together around 50 people in each locality, and reflect on one of the 6 guiding themes of the consultation
• In the second stage, a Deliberative Forum takes place in each of the participant countries, bringing together around 200 citizens each, including a portion of the participants to regional panels. These panels serve to bring together relevant stakeholders from different European countries for each of the theme, reaching a deliberative consensus on existing and auspicable policies.
• Hearings are organised in the European Parliament following each stage to present the conclusions reached
• Finally, a Closing Forum takes place in Brussels bringing together 250 people including representatives from the 6 participating countries. The resulting final recommendations and citizen initiative proposals are published in a book and presented in a public event.

The regional meetings will be based on the “World Cafe” methodology. Participants are invited to a location that resembles a cafè, with several tables that can sit at least 5-6 people. After a brief presentation, participants are invited to sit at one of the tables in which a discussion will take place on different sub-topics relating to the main theme of the meeting. For example, in a meeting about migration, one table could deal with asylum policy, another with detention centers etc. Discussions continue for 20-30 minutes, after which participants are invited to join other tables. A “table host” remains seated and takes notes, while others move freely. One table (introduced at a later stage of the day) will specifically focus on practical actions, including the initial drafting of  proposal of possible citizenship initiatives. An empty table will be kept to allow for new sub-topics to emerge and be discussed there. The World Cafè rounds end with a plenary session in which table hosts present the main findings and the assembly discuss possible citizen initiative proposals as well as action points to be followed up.

Transnational meetings will build on the findings of the regional ones and include participants from around Europe. They will be structured around “Deliberative Workshop” methodology, which is similar but more structured than World Cafè. Participants will join the workshop after having been sent key readings on the main theme as well as summary findings from the regional workshop. Different table- discussions will be set up on a number of sub themes. Each session will last approximately an hour. Participants are welcome to take part into as many workshops as they wish, but are encouraged to focus on a smaller number of sub-themes they can focus on. Experts on European politics and policy will tour each deliberative workshop to advise whether the final drafting of possible citizenship initiatives are in line with the competencies and powers of the EU. By the end of the day, each workshop develops one final citizen initiative proposal and a series of action points that will guide the work of European Alternatives and partner organisations in the following months.  Proposals and action points to be discussed and voted by a final plenary.
 

Use the links on the right-hand column to find more information on the Stockholm Programme as well as European Alternatives' approach to it.