European Green Party ACTIVITY REPORT 2017

Transcription

1 INTRODUCTION The European Green Party in 2017 worked on making the answers the Greens have to the current challenges more visible and audible, while at the same time preparing the 2019 European Parliament elections structurally and politically. Apart from the EGP Congress and Council in spring and the Council in autumn, the EGP Committee organised visits to the member parties throughout the year and co-organised several meetings around working group and network meetings. 1. STATUTORY MEETINGS A. EGP Committee meetings The Committee organised its spring Congress and autumn Council on 30 March - 2 April 2017 and November Around and in between the Councils, 10 physical Committee meetings were organised to manage the party, to execute the priorities as well as to prepare the 2017 joint Congress and the Council. The 2017 Committee meetings were held on the following dates and places: January, Brussels 10 February, Brussels 29 March, Liverpool 5-6 May, Brussels 9-11 June, Retreat, Geetbets, Belgium 7-8 July, Brussels September, Brussels October, Brussels 23 November, Karlstad, Sweden 15 December, Brussels The minutes of the Committee meetings are posted on the internal delegates platform on the EGP website. B. EGP Congress The 5 th EGP Congress From 30 March to 2 April 2017, the EGP held its 5 th Congress together with the Global Greens 4 th Congress and the Spring Conference of the UK Green Party of England and Wales. The programme was an intricate construction with common opening and closing plenary sessions, separate plenary sessions in parallel for EGP and Global Greens and parallel sessions, common, by EGP, by Global Greens, by UK Greens on all days. EGP Activity Report 2017 Page 1 of 9

2 The full programme, the adopted resolutions, the Liverpool declaration, photos, speeches and videos are available via greens2017.org. The venue of #Greens2017 was the Arena and Convention Centre, Liverpool, Kings Dock, Liverpool L34FP, UK. Almost 2000 people from more than 100 Green Parties around the globe gathered in Liverpool. C. EGP Council meetings The Spring 2017 Council, Liverpool, UK The 26 th Council of the European Green Party was held in Liverpool. A short council session on Friday 31 March 2017, from 18h30-20h, was organised in the framework of the Joint Congress, mainly to allow the vote on technical changes to the EGP Statutes and to elect the new 9 th Committee member. The Autumn 2017 Council, Karlstad, Sweden - #EGP27 The 27 th Council of the European Green Party was held in Karlstad, Sweden, on November The council venue was the Karlstad Congress Culture Centre, Tage Erlandergatan 8 A-F, Karlstad. Over 300 participants attended. Preceding the EGP Council, on Thursday 23 November in the evening, a Youth event was organised in cooperation with FYEG and the Swedish Young Greens on Democracy, Parties and Youth. The debate took place in hotel Clarion Plaza, Västra Torggatan 2 in Karlstad. Plenaries at the Karlstad Council were dedicated to: After Paris and Trump: how can we accelerate climate action? How can we build powerful alliances, push Europe to lead and make climate a leading political issue in the 2019 elections? Making globalisation work for the Sustainable Development Goals (co-organised by the Green Group in the EP) Green and Sustainable Cities: providing a political response to combating climate change, being facilitators for innovation, being centres of social and cultural diversity, interaction and idea-sharing, enabling the efficiency of public services, transport etc. Green vision for Europe Europe s position in the world - responding to the current challenges. Among others, the Council delegates voted on the last revisions of the EGP Statutes in view of the recognition as European Political Party, on the Activity Plan 2018, Budget 2018 and membership fees 2018 as well as on the Karlstad resolutions. Regarding membership issues, the Council voted to withdraw the membership of De Groenen from the Netherlands, to accept Demokratska Obnova na Makedonija (DOM) as full member, and to accept Verdi-Grüne-Vërc from South Tyrol, Italy, as candidate member. EGP Activity Report 2017 Page 2 of 9

3 D. EGP Conciliation Panel For the first time in EGP history the services of the Conciliation Panel (CP) were called upon by the two factions of De Groenen, NL. The CP met in Brussels in the EGP office for hearings on 26 May and again on 30 October. 2. NON-STATUTORY MEETINGS The Committee further engaged in a discussion with the EGP Working Groups and Networks to develop mid-term strategies for their development. In 2017, the following meetings were organised: A. Working Groups meetings WG Foreign Affairs: o 31 March, parallel session at the Joint congress in Liverpool: Evolution of the Transatlantic relations after Trump s election WG Trade: o November, parallel session at the Karlstad Council WG Tax Justice: o 1 April, parallel session at the Joint congress in Liverpool: Tax Justice in action! (in cooperation with Greens-EFA in EP) o November, parallel session at the Karlstad Council: Tax Justice in action! WG Future of Europe: o March, Rome, WG meeting in conjunction with celebration of 60 th anniversary EC/EU, March for Europe o 31 March, WG meeting at the Joint congress in Liverpool, on Brexit o 24 November, parallel session at the Karlstad Council WG CAP: o 17 October, Brussels, WG meeting B. Networks meetings Balkan Green Network o November, parallel session at the Karlstad Council Gender Network o 2-3 June, Gender network meeting, Warsaw + common meeting with LGBTQ + participation in Warsaw pride o November, parallel session at the Karlstad Council: A feminist government and gender equality with the Green Party what does it mean in practice? EGP Activity Report 2017 Page 3 of 9

4 Local Councillors Network o 30 March, parallel session the Joint Congress in Liverpool: Think Global, Act Local o November, plenary at the Karlstad Council on Green cities. Disability Network o 1 April, parallel session at the Liverpool Congress: Green perspectives on disability issues o November, parallel session at the Karlstad Council European Network of Green Seniors (ENGS): o 1 April, parallel session at the Liverpool Congress: Manifesto 2020 o November, parallel session at the Karlstad Council: No discrimination against the elderly in the job market. LGBTQ Network o 2-3 June, LGBTQ network meeting, Warsaw + common meeting with Gender Network + participation in Warsaw pride o November, parallel session meeting at the Karlstad Council C. Other meetings New year s reception The EGP organised a new year s reception on 27 January in the Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels. The Committee invited its partners, all Greens based in Brussels, journalists and NGO s to a cocktail new year s reception. Around 100 people participated. Green cities June, Conference on Sustainable Future, Merano, South Tyrol, Italy (cancelled: 30 Sept- 1 Oct, Conference on Urban agriculture and sustainable food, El Prat, Spain. Cancellation due to ramifications of independence referendum in Catalonia). European Ideas Lab (EIL) Initially planned for autumn 2016, the European Ideas Lab took place on 3-5 February 2017 in Bruxelles Environnement, Avenue du Port 86, 1000 Brussels. The EIL was organised in cooperation with the Greens-EFA in the European Parliament. The meeting was considered successful as Greens met with over 300 changemakers from NGO s and civil movements. The EGP also organised, in cooperation with the Greens-EFA in EP, a regional version of the EIL in Dublin, Ireland, on October, with the participation of the Green Party of England and Wales and the Scottish Green Party. They met with about 200 changemakers. EGP Activity Report 2017 Page 4 of 9

5 COP 23, Bonn, November 2017 The EGP participated in several activities around the COP23 held in Bonn, 6-17 November: Among other: a bike tour (1-5 November) from Brussels to Bonn prior to the COP; participation in the protest demonstration on Saturday 4 November; FYEG AlterCOP (1-5 November) and the Green Family breakfast organised by Greens-EFA in EP on 16 November. D. Trainings towards 2019 During 2017 the EGP invested in trainings and experience-gathering on campaigning for EGP staff members: o GroenLinks meetup, 7 March 2017, Amsterdam, Netherlands o Campaign Tech Conference, Berlin, 19 May 2017, Berlin, Germany o Campaign Workshop, Washington, USA July Some representatives of the member parties joined the workshop. E. Divestment Campaign Follow up of Divestment Campaign: #DIVESTEUROPE from fossil fuels Further to the 2016 campaign on Fossil Divestment, a brochure was published in May 2017: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly ; introducing the biggest carbon emitters in Europe. The brochure was made available in several languages. #DivestEurope campaign materials were produced with the new logo (bike seat covers, bike bracelets, lollipops, pins, match boxes ). 3. MEMBERSHIP A. Membership relations The Committee worked towards the 2019 elections, combining the development of our political agenda, strengthening of our parties, supporting our politicians and spreading our European message. For that purpose the membership relations have been intensified, both in a multilateral way by strengthening the exchange between member parties and the promotion of transnational activities, and bilaterally by initiating projects on key topics. EGP Committee members visited the Green parties in the regions they are responsible of: January, Study visit to Poland, Warsaw January, Legambiente Congress, Italy February, Study visit to Romania, Bucharest EGP Activity Report 2017 Page 5 of 9

6 March, Congress Green Italia, Naples, Italy March, Study visit to Czech Greens, Prague March, Study visit to Zelenite, Bulgaria, Sofia March, Scouting visit to De Groenen (Rotterdam) and GroenLinks (Utrecht), the Netherlands April, Study visit to Albanian Greens, Tirana April, Meeting with EELV, France April, Visit to Swedish Greens, Stockholm May, Visit to ICV and Catalan authorities, Barcelona, Spain May, Extraordinary General meeting of Alternattiva Demokratika, Malta May, Meeting with EELV, France May, FYEG General Assembly, Madrid, Spain June, FFM to the Greens in the Baltic countries June, FFM to De Groenen, the Netherlands June, Women s leaders meeting, Rome, Italy June, Congress German Greens, Berlin, Germany July, E adesso Seminar on Future of Greens in Italy, Rimini, Italy July, summer camp FYEG, Germany August, FFM to DOM in Macedonia, Skopje August, summer camp EELV, co-organisation of European Day, 25 August, Dunkirk, France August, summer camp Ecolo, Liège, Belgium August, summer camp Groen, Nieuwpoort, Belgium September, EQUO summer university, Spain September, autumn conference GPEW, Harrogate, UK September, meeting with Greens and NGO s, Rome, Italy September, Seminar on Relaunching the EU, Madrid, Spain October, Event Campo Progressista, Rome, Italy October, Conference on Social Europe, Athens, Greece October, participation in Central and Eastern European Round Table, Vienna, Austria October, meeting with Nordic Greens party leaders, Helsinki, Finland November, Conference at Ecomondo, Rimini, Italy November, Event Campo Progressista, Rome, Italy November, extra congress German Greens, Berlin, Germany November, Greens-EFA study days in Ostend, Belgium December, EELV, Nuit du Climat, Paris, France December, Mission to Istanbul, Turkey December, EQUO, Foro Clima, Madrid, Spain December, FYEG strategic meeting, Leuven, Belgium December, Conference Fed. dei Verdi, Il Piano Clima, Rome, Italy B. Party Leaders meetings In 2017 the EGP Committee organised one Party Leaders meeting on 20 June in Brussels, in the hotel Leopold, rue de Luxembourg, Brussels, with main topic the 2019 elections. EGP Activity Report 2017 Page 6 of 9

7 C. Internship exchange program The Committee continued with the 3-months exchange project for interns to facilitate young Greens to learn from and experience the more established offices of some of our member parties and for the more established parties to learn about other member parties. A call for candidates was sent during the year, but the internship period effectively started only at the beginning of D. Other exchanges with member parties In preparation of the 2019 elections the EGP Committee organised a series of meetings with representatives of the member parties: 29 May, Brussels, the Committee organised a meeting to consult about the support for organising a second Green Primary to elect the Green Leading Candidate(s) June, the Committee organised an informal pow wow/gathering with a few Green wise men to discuss on the Greens in Europe. 28 September, the Committee had a meeting with experts from the member parties who organised studies on the Green electorate in their country for an exchange of views. 4. PARTNERS A. Greens-EFA The Committee built further on a strong working relationship with the Greens-EFA in EP. Meetings between the Co-Chairs of the EGP and the Co-Presidents of the Group were established as well as a regular format for meetings between the Group s Bureau and the EGP Committee (three joint meetings were held in January, June and September). Next to this there is a daily exchange routine between the staff of the Group and of the EGP. Further cooperation includes: o European Idea s Lab (EIL); Greens meeting changemakers from NGO s and civil movements, Brussels, 3-5 February 2017 o 1 April, parallel session at the Joint congress in Liverpool in cooperation with Greens-EFA in EP: Tax Justice in Action! o Regional EIL, Dublin, Ireland, with the participation of the Irish Greens, the Green Party of England and Wales and the Scottish Greens, October 2017 o 25 November: At the Karlstad council Greens-EFA in EP prepared a plenary on: Making globalisation work for the Sustainable Development Goals o EGP Committee members attended the Greens-EFA study days in Ostend, 7-9 November B. Green European Foundation (GEF) For much of our research, political analysis and information platforms we continued to rely on the expertise of our partner GEF. EGP is represented in the GEF General Assembly and can attend the EGP Activity Report 2017 Page 7 of 9

8 Board meetings and Strategy meetings. At the Liverpool Congress on 30 March-2 April, GEF organised o 31 March, in cooperation with the Green Economics Institute an interactive workshop for exchanging experiences and best practices o 1 April, Online learning and Green politics o 1 April, Facing our fears: Greens on Security and Protection At the Karlstad Council in November GEF provided workshops in the parallel sessions on: o Reinforcing the Green Network through digital learning o Greens in negotiations C. Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG) We continued to work in cooperation with our youth partner. The EGP Committee met with the new Executive Board in its September meeting. We participated in the annual May General Assembly, July summer camp (Germany) and strategic meeting in December in Leuven (Belgium). FYEG is represented in the Committee meetings with one of the co-spokespersons. FYEG co-organised with EGP an AlterCOP, 1-5 November, prior to the COP23 in Bonn, Germany. FYEG held a parallel session meeting at the Karlstad Council in November on Strengthening the Greens: extra-parliamentary collaboration and youth wings. D. Global Greens The cooperation with the Global Greens was quite intense during the first half of 2017, making the final preparations for the Joint Congress in Liverpool and the wrap up afterwards. The Secretariat of the Global Greens was installed in the EGP office for the purpose between March 2015 and end The Global Greens held a parallel session both at the Liverpool congress end of March and at the Karlstad Council in November; on how to capture/mobilise the Green expat vote in the elections. 5. ORGANISATION A. EGP Staff In average, the EGP office consisted of 12,75 FTE in 2017, compared to 13,75 in B. Website renewal and visual identity refresh The process of renewing the EGP website with the refreshed visuals unfortunately did not go as EGP Activity Report 2017 Page 8 of 9

9 smoothly as wished for, but was finalised around end of May. The renewed website was published in June C. EGP Office In 2017, we continued our effort to be an open office for the Green family. All in all, 39 external visitor groups were hosted in the EGP meeting room during In more detail, we can distinguish: - MEPs are actively reaching out to EGP to host topical gatherings with the representatives of civil society, meetings with their mother parties or organisational meetings of their teams. This year we have hosted MEPs: Reinhard Butikofer, Monika Vana, Max Andersson, Claude Turmes, Terry Reintke, Ernest Urtasun, Michel Reimon, JP Albrecht. (16) - FYEG as well used the Front room to host its meetings, mainly political debates on Migrations (with MEP Ska Keller) and statutory bodies, like Executive committee meetings. (6) - Green partners such as Heinrich Boell Brussels, GEF, Green feminists have used the room for their gatherings as well (7) We have organised 3 presentations for the External visitor groups, 2 groups of the EU Commission trainees and Student group from the Lille university. - Throughout the year we host Member parties visitors groups. In 2017 we have welcomed various German, Finish, Swedish and GPEW groups (11) - EGP: Front and Small meeting room are used by the staff and Committee members for the bi/multilateral meetings on a daily basis. In general these rooms are used for Office and Committee meetings as well. Additionally, EGP uses the Front room for the meeting of its substructures, like Conciliation panel, or working groups (primaries, CAP). -The Front room is also frequently used by the Local groups of the Green parties (German, ICV, GroenLinks, Bulgarian). International Greens also use the EGP Front room for their regular and topical gatherings. (Total 16) Totals: EGP presentations: 14 - hosted activities: 39 - EGP+FYEG (excluding regular, working and daily meetings): 13 Total activity: 66 EGP Activity Report 2017 Page 9 of 9