CIVICO Europa is a non-profit, independent, and transnational association committed to the active and informed participation of civil society in the European project.

In a connected yet divided world, developed but fragile, and in constant change, electoral cycles are no longer able to meet the real needs of citizens. Representativeness is eroding everywhere, especially where it has always struggled to emerge. A genuine democratic gap is widening within a European Union that, more than ever, must unite and act if it wants to exist.

In this unbalanced world, we are convinced that the survival of the European project depends on the ability of its citizens to reclaim it, to understand it, and to participate in it.

CIVICO Europa stems from the May 9 Movement (M9M): personalities from all backgrounds and generations who, on May 9, 2016, launched a call to revive the European project. They called upon citizens, opinion leaders, and decision-makers to rally together for a collective reflection aimed at envisioning the next step for the Union. “The May 9 Call for a New European Renaissance” has a considerable impact: it is published in several major European newspapers, thousands of citizens offer their help, and heads of state and government reach out to M9M members, who are also received by the presidents of the Commission and the European Council.

CIVICO Europa is born out of this call. Its first act is the development of a report, “La Voie Européenne pour un Futur Meilleur”, arguing that in order to preserve our fragile democracies, and the EU in particular, their representative nature must be complemented by a new form of civic participation, direct and ongoing. This report is also published and presented to various political decision-makers (including, among others, Presidents Juncker and Macron), thus contributing to creating the political momentum in favor of citizen consultations.

Since then, CIVICO Europa has been working on establishing tools for reflection and direct civic participation in the future of Europe.

Indeed, if we want to ensure a sustainable future for the Union, we are convinced that it is fundamental to reinvent the link between citizens and institutions, in order to reduce the widening representational gap in our modern democracies. CIVICO Europa has therefore set itself the mission of facilitating this change through any positive project seeking to develop a European civil society and promote a Europe of citizens.

The first of these projects was the initiative #WeEuropeans. It made history. For the first time, the voice of millions of citizens resonated directly at the heart of European institutions, calling on leaders to address their legitimate demands.

Thus, CIVICO has provided European citizens with an innovative tool to voice their concerns. We have built a powerful network: intellectuals, artists, educators, scientists, entrepreneurs, trade unionists, politicians, and media, mobilizing alongside these millions of citizens to foster a genuine debate about our future, our ambitions, and our expectations.

However, since 2019, the world has shifted. The challenges facing Europe have multiplied, the democratic gap has widened, and citizens feel more than ever like mere spectators of the crucial decisions shaping our uncertain future.

Today, the time has come to slow down the flow of superficial information and opinions to delve deeply into the details and reflections of the challenges that await us.

This is what we propose with CIVICO Europa: to rebuild the European values of freedom, the rule of law, peace, and prosperity, around an informed, critical, and engaged citizen.