Following the nomination by Ursula von der Leyen of the Commissioner-designates, CSOs wanted to react and engage with MEPs ahead of the hearings. Therefore, the CSOs drafted an open letter, urging the EU officials to react on several issues, namely: include freedom of association and assembly, alongside the freedom and pluralism of media, as indicators for democracy, while assessing the implementation of EU values, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights; establish a consistent framework organising the relations between EU institutions and democratic civil society, including the organised civil society, in order to engage in all areas of EU action in an open, regular and transparent dialogue that will strengthen European democracy by giving voice and follow-up means to all civic actors so that the European Union serves the common good. Read more about the open letter here.
Source: European Civic Forum