Fraternité2020
Encyclopedia
Fraternité2020 is a European Citizens' Initiative
founded in 2010. Its goal is to promote country exchange programmes such as the European Voluntary Service
(EVS) or the Erasmus Programme
, among other things by dedicating more funds in the EU budget to those programmes. Its goal is to have 20% of Europeans having spent at least 20 weeks in another European country by the year 2020.
is not better received by students across Europe has been suggested to be inadequate financial support. Another statistics illustrating the low geographical mobility in the EU is the share of EU citizens living in other EU countries. On average, only 2.3% of the total population of the EU27 were citizens of another EU member state in 2008.
, Josep Borrell
, and Jean-Claude Barbier from the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne. In terms of NGOs, the initiative is supported by inter alia Scambieuropei and AEGEE-Europe
. The initiative's Facebook
page has grown to over 1,000 supporters by June 2011.
President Jerzy Buzek
expresses his hope that Fraternité2020 can contribute to set another step in the direction of an EU that is closer to its citizens. European Commission
President José Manuel Barroso singles out Goal 1 of the initiative and indicates a "substantial" increase in the next budget for EU exchange programmes. In terms of MEPs
, the initiative is supported by Sandrine Bélier
, Anne Delvaux
, Isabelle Durant
, and Marc Tarabella
.
European Citizens' Initiative
The European Citizens' Initiative is one of the major innovations of the Treaty of Lisbon, aimed at increasing direct democracy in the European Union...
founded in 2010. Its goal is to promote country exchange programmes such as the European Voluntary Service
European Voluntary Service
European Voluntary Service is the European Commission's project that allows a young person to become a volunteer in another country for a specified period, normally between 2–12 months...
(EVS) or the Erasmus Programme
Erasmus Programme
The Erasmus Programme , a.k.a. Erasmus Project is a European Union student exchange programme established in 1987...
, among other things by dedicating more funds in the EU budget to those programmes. Its goal is to have 20% of Europeans having spent at least 20 weeks in another European country by the year 2020.
Background
Geographic mobility in the EU is considered rather low. The success of exchange programmes like Erasmus can be said to be limited, with less than 1% of all students in the EU participating in an Erasmus exchange in 2006. One factor why the Erasmus ProgrammeErasmus Programme
The Erasmus Programme , a.k.a. Erasmus Project is a European Union student exchange programme established in 1987...
is not better received by students across Europe has been suggested to be inadequate financial support. Another statistics illustrating the low geographical mobility in the EU is the share of EU citizens living in other EU countries. On average, only 2.3% of the total population of the EU27 were citizens of another EU member state in 2008.
Goals of the Initiative
The Citizens' Initiative Fraternité2020 has three goals:- The EU budget shall make available 20 billion Euros yearly for programmes such as Erasmus and the EVSEuropean Voluntary ServiceEuropean Voluntary Service is the European Commission's project that allows a young person to become a volunteer in another country for a specified period, normally between 2–12 months...
, so that more people can participate receiving bigger grants.
- The upper age limit for doing an EVSEuropean Voluntary ServiceEuropean Voluntary Service is the European Commission's project that allows a young person to become a volunteer in another country for a specified period, normally between 2–12 months...
(currently set at 30 years) shall be scrapped to give all people, irrespective of age, a chance to participate in the programme.
- An Open Method of CoordinationOpen Method of CoordinationThe open method of coordination is a relatively new and intergovernmental means of governance in the European Union, based on the voluntary cooperation of its member states.- Overview :...
shall be initiated to guarantee that 20% of Europeans have voluntarily spent at least 20 weeks in another European country (with a different native language) by the year 2020.
Supporters
The initiative is supported by Kalypso NicolaïdisKalypso Nicolaïdis
Kalypso Aude Nicolaïdis is Professor of International Relations and Director of the European Studies Centre at Oxford University. She teaches in the areas of European integration, international relations, international political economy, negotiation and game theory and research methods as...
, Josep Borrell
Josep Borrell
Josep Borrell Fontelles is a Spanish politician. He was nominated President of the European University Institute on 12 December 2008, and assumed this position in January 2010. Borrell was President of the European Parliament from 20 July 2004 until 16 January 2007...
, and Jean-Claude Barbier from the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne. In terms of NGOs, the initiative is supported by inter alia Scambieuropei and AEGEE-Europe
Association des Etats Généraux des Etudiants de l'Europe
AEGEE, or Association des États Généraux des Étudiants de l'Europe, known as European Students' Forum in English, is one of Europe's largest cross-faculty student organisations....
. The initiative's Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page has grown to over 1,000 supporters by June 2011.
Responses from the European Institutions
In a letter of 24th April, 2011, EPEuropean Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
President Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Karol Buzek is a Polish engineer, academic lecturer and politician who was the ninth post-Cold War Prime Minister of Poland from 1997 to 2001...
expresses his hope that Fraternité2020 can contribute to set another step in the direction of an EU that is closer to its citizens. European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
President José Manuel Barroso singles out Goal 1 of the initiative and indicates a "substantial" increase in the next budget for EU exchange programmes. In terms of MEPs
MEPS
MEPS can refer to:* Military Entrance Processing Station* Marine Ecology Progress Series, a scientific journal dealing mostly with research in the field of marine ecology.* Methode d’Evaluation des Produits Securitaire “bancaires”...
, the initiative is supported by Sandrine Bélier
Sandrine Bélier
Sandrine Bélier is a French environmental jurist, politician and Member of the European Parliament elected in the 2009 European election for the East constituency....
, Anne Delvaux
Anne Delvaux
Anne Delvaux is a Belgian politician and a member of the cdH. She was elected as a member of the Belgian Senate in 2007.-Notes:...
, Isabelle Durant
Isabelle Durant
Isabelle A.J. Durant is a Belgian politician, member of the Ecolo party. On 15 September, 2010 Durant supported the new initiative Spinelli Group in the European Parliament, which was founded to reinvigorate the strive for federalisation of the European Union...
, and Marc Tarabella
Marc Tarabella
Marc Tarabella is a Belgian politician andMember of the European Parliament for the French Community of Belgium with the Parti Socialiste, part of the Socialist Group and sits on...
.