Civil Society Contact Group

Who are we?

The EU Civil Society Contact Group brings together six large rights and value based NGO sectors – environment, social, development, women, culture, and human rights. The ETUC, representing European union workers is an observer to the Group.

Jointly we aim to represent the views and interests of rights and value based civil society organisations across the European Union on major issues, which affect us across our sectors of activity. The group seeks a role as an interlocutor with the EU institutions in specific fields of common interest to discuss the substantive concerns of the huge range of civil society organisations represented within its composition. Its objective is to encourage and promote a transparent and structured civil dialogue that is accessible, properly facilitated, inclusive, fair, and respectful of the autonomy of NGOs. We promote lasting access to information, access to justice in matters of concern to civil society, consultation, and integration of all levels of civil society in the European project.

The EU CSCG bases its activities on the values shared by all its members. These include a vision of European integration, which opposes the drift to purely economic goals, but instead builds a European Union that:

·      Is built upon and promotes the European social model and the international rule of law

·      Is close to its citizens, respects and reflects the diversity and equality of all people living in Europe

·      Builds an institutional framework which is truly effective, democratic and participatory, transparent    and accessible, and develops the role of Europe in the world as a positive and stabilizing force

·      Is an advocate for and a guarantor of peace, solidarity, justice, equality for all, equality between women and men, non discrimination, sustainable development, protection and improvement of the environment to ensure a high quality of life for present and future generations, eradication of poverty and observance of human rights within the EU and globally.

The EU CSCG represents its members and not all parts of civil society. It encourages the autonomous input of other civil society organisations at a European, national, and local level, to the work of the European Institutions.

Whilst the members of the EU CSCG respect the specificity and autonomy of each other’s domains and interests, they agree to pursue a common strategy and approach to the issues the CSCG works on wherever useful for the common and individual sectors’ interests, informing and consulting each other of specific initiatives taken in a spirit of solidarity. The CSCG seeks to bring added value to the work of its members and their members.

While the activities of the CSCG focus on European rights and value debates, the CSCG is in full support of the same aims on a global scale and pays attention to the impact of European policies worldwide.