European Declaration for Citizen Advice Services

On February 24-25, 2009 NACAB took part in the sixth European Forum of Citizens’ Advice Services on the Exercise of European Citizenship Rights. The Forum was organized under the project „Cascade Europe”, implemented by Citizens Advice International (CAI), international organization in which NACAB takes part. The Forum constituted an opportunity for participants to share their experiences in the field of social policy and advocacy for European Citizenship Rights.

On the occasion of CAI General Assembly’s agenda, which constituted the preamble of the Forum, there has been taken into consideration adopting a Declaration for Citizens Advice Services in the EU. A first version of such document was issued in 2003 by European Citizens Advice Service (ECAS) – Brussels based NGO militating for EU Citizenship Rights. Advice services similar to CAB service in Romania function in almost every member state, and the issuing of such declaration appeared as a means of supporting the EU Citizen and her/his needs of information.

The topics tackled with at the Forum were: information services at the European level, systems for ensuring quality in information services, rights of the member states’ workers on the EU labor market, social policy and its impact on global crisis. The Declaration for Citizens Advice Services in the EU makes the following recommendations:

1. The concept of citizen information needs to be included as an objective in the EU Treaty. Citizens need to be informed with regards to the EU legislation and EU policy, and their consequent rights contained in them;
2. The concept of one-stop-shop information service needs to be put in place in every member state. In the context of workers mobility rights, the European citizens do not attain the best mechanisms with regards to the institutions that they would need to come in contact with in order to mitigate their potential problems, as the safeguard of these rights is administratively divided and regionally/nationally/locally disjoint;
3. The European Commission needs to elaborate an action plan taking into consideration the following priorities: a. creating an website with all information and advice services of both member states and candidate countries; b. consolidating the resources for ensuring a better access for citizens to justice through training sessions provided for judges and lawyers, special programs dedicated to personnel in order to improve the quality of the existing information services, developing systems of online information services; c. strengthening the role of citizens advice services (including access to justice) through providing follow-up information with regards to citizens petitioning the European Commission;
4. The provisions contained in the European Charter of Fundamental Rights need to be utilized in order to strike a balance between freedom and security of citizens. The Commissioner for European Citizenship would be in charge with promoting the provisions of the Charter in all EU policy domains.

The Declaration for Citizens Advice Services in the EU would be subject to further consultations among CAI members, following the final version to be sent to the European Commission.