| Abstract | Problematika participativnosti građana u Europskoj uniji obuhvaća niz izazova koji otežavaju uključivanje građana u političke procese EU-a. Iako EU teži demokraciji, postoji percepcija da građani nisu dovoljno uključeni i informirani o politikama i odlukama EU-a što stvara osjećaj demokratskog deficita. Odluke EU-a su često teško razumljive i kompleksne što otežava građanima praćenje procesa EU-a te odaje dojam nedostatka transparentnosti. Isto tako nedostaje dovoljno efikasnih i direktnih mehanizama za uključivanje građana u proces donošenja politika. Kako bi se riješila ova problematika potrebno je jačanje demokratske legitimnosti EU-a, povećanje transparentnosti te korištenje tehnologije za bolju komunikaciju s građanima i edukaciju o EU. Ključnu ulogu u suočavanju s navedenim izazovima ima civilno društvo. Ono utječe na razvoj participativne demokracije u EU kroz aktivnosti zagovaranja, lobiranja, sudjelovanja u radnim skupinama, konzultacijama, javnim raspravama te demonstracijama. Organizacije civilnog društva često predstavljaju glas građana pred institucijama EU-a te pomažu u oblikovanju zakonodavstva i politika koje odražavaju potrebe i vrijednosti europskih građana. Cilj ovog rada je prikazati kakav su utjecaj imale organizacije civilnog društva u razvoju participativne demokracije u EU, zadnja tri desetljeća. Uz pomoć komparativno historijske analize prikazane su uloge OCD-ova koje su podijeljene u tri vremenska razdoblja, počevši s Ugovorom iz Maastrichta, zatim Bijelom knjigom o vladavini te Ugovorom iz Lisabona. Analiza je pokazala da je utjecaj civilnog društva u razdoblju nakon Ugovora iz Maastrichta bio srednje jačine jer tada participativni diskurs bio na začetku. Zatim nakon Bijele knjige o vladavini utjecaj je bio jak zbog povećanja konzultacija s EU komisijom te u razdoblju nakon Ugovora iz Lisabona utjecaj je bio srednje jak jer se promijenio fokus s ekskluzivnih konzultacija s OCD-ovima prema modelu otvorenih konzultacija. |
| Abstract (english) | The issue of citizen participation in the European Union (EU) encompasses a range of challenges that hinder citizens' involvement in EU political processes. Although the EU aspires to democracy, there is a perception that citizens are not adequately engaged and informed about EU policies and decisions, leading to a sense of democratic deficit. EU decisions are often complex and hard to comprehend, making it difficult for citizens to follow EU processes and giving the impression of a lack of transparency. Additionally, there is a shortage of efficient and direct mechanisms for citizen involvement in policy-making. To address these issues, it is necessary to strengthen the democratic legitimacy of the EU, enhance transparency, utilize technology for better communication with citizens, and provide education about the EU. Civil society plays a pivotal role in tackling these challenges. It influences the development of participative democracy in the EU through advocacy, lobbying, participation in working groups, consultations, public debates, and demonstrations. Civil society organizations often represent the voice of citizens before EU institutions and help shape legislation and policies that reflect the needs and values of European citizens. This paper aims to illustrate the impact of civil society organizations on the development of participative democracy in the EU over the past three decades. Through comparative historical analysis, the roles of civil society organizations are divided into three temporal periods, starting with the Maastricht Treaty, followed by the White Paper on European Governance, and concluding with the Lisbon Treaty. The analysis revealed that the influence of civil society during the post-Maastricht Treaty period was moderate, as participatory discourse was in its infancy. Subsequently, after the White Paper on European Governance, the influence became strong due to increased consultations with the EU Commission. In the period following the Lisbon Treaty, the influence remained moderate as the focus shifted from exclusive consultations with civil society organizations to an open consultation model. |
