European Movement Germany
Encyclopedia
European Movement Germany is a non-partisan network
of interest groups in the field of EU politics in Germany
. It cooperates closely with all EU stakeholders on a national and European level, most particularly with the German Federal Government and the European Commission
. The 224 member organisations represent various social groups including business and professional associations, trade unions, educational and academic institutions, foundations and political parties
, amongst others. The aim is to continually improve, in close cooperation with political institutions, communication on European politics, European perspectives and the coordination of European policy. The EM Germany network is a member of European Movement International.
.
EM Germany is responsible for choosing running the application process for German students who wish to apply for scholarships to the College of Europe
in Bruges
and Natolin
. The Bonn
office organises this European competition in which 200,000 German students participate each year. Due to the diverse nature of EM Germany’s membership, consisting of over 200 organisations, EM Germany cannot always take a clear position on certain matters. For this reason, decisions commonly made by NGOs are not made by EM Germany. Key activities include commenting on the regulatory framework of German European policy, European Public Relations and posing general questions on the development of the European Union
.
and avoids activities that could be better undertaken by its member organisations. It works in an advisory capacity with representatives of the federal states on the coordination of European public-relations in the German state, in the European Parliament
and in the Commission. Together with its institutional partner, the Foreign Office, the network promotes dialogue by organising events. Target groups include EU stakeholders, the Federal State, the province
s, region
s and civil society
.
Due to the multitude of EU-debriefings and EU analysis on important European developments, EM Germany has intensified its cooperation with its member organisations, the European Commission Representation in Germany and other ministries. In 2009 the network was awarded the “Euractiv Award for Debating Europe Nationally”.
The Board leads the activities of the association and represents the various sectors: business, trade unions, education and science, political parties and others. Since June 2006 the former representative of Daimler AG Dieter Spöri
has been President of the Board. Current vice-Presidents are Michael Gahler
, MEP; Axel Schäfer MdB and Michaele Schreyer
, former EU Commissioner.
Members are chosen from the following various organisations:
Bernd Hüttemann
has been Secretary General since 2003.
Honorary Presidents are: Hans-Dietrich Genscher, former Federal Foreign Minister
; Philipp Jenniger, former President of the Bundestag
; Annemarie Renger, former President of the Bundestag; Walter Scheel, former German President; Rita Süssmuth, former President of the Bundestag; Wolfgang Thierse, former President of the Bundestag; Monika Wulf-Mathies, former EU Commissioner.
EM Germany is also represented on the board of EM International: Jo Leinen
is Vice-President of European Movement International and Bernd Hüttemann
acts as a member. Other Germans on the board include Reiner Wieland for the Free Democratic Party (Vice-President) and Katharina Erdmenger for the Alliance of European Trade-Unions.
President Paul Löbe was the founding President and held this position until 1954.
were already centuries old, the notion became concrete in the aftermath of the Second World War. Churchill’s famous speech in Zürich
in September 1946 was highly influential in this regard. In this speech he advocated a new order in Europe; one of cooperation between the independent states of Europe. His son-in-law, Duncan Sandys
, took on this idea. As the leader of the United Europe Movement he organised the Hague Congress
of the European Movement. The objective of this Congress was to establish National Councils which would then join an International Council of European Movement on a European level. Significantly, Eugen Kogon
, President of Europa-Union from 1949, supported the establishment of the German Council of the European Movement by inviting, along with Sandys, approximately 90 personalities from public affairs in January 1949 to set up a provisional Executive Committee.
On the 13 June 1949 the German Council of the European Movement was founded in Wiesbaden
. At the inaugural meeting, 252 highly regarded members were chosen from political parties, as well as from various strands of West German society. Former President of the Reichstag Paul Löbe was the founding President and held this office until 1954. Eugen Kogon took on the role of Chairman of the Executive Committee of the German Council. His deputy was Hermann Brill
. Among the members were also Konrad Adenauer
, Ludwig Erhard
and Theodore Heuss.
After the first meeting of the German Parliament, the German parliamentary section of the German Council was created on the 9 November 1949. Carlo Schmid
became its Chairman; having previously been elected as Vice-President of the International Parliamentary Group of European Movement. The Deputy Chairman of this section, which by 1950 had 244 Members of Parliament, was Heinrich von Brentano. The Secretary was Fritz Erler.
At its inception, the European Movement possessed a non-partisan character. The work of the German Council was financed through public funding, through State grants in the first months and, from 1950 onwards, by the Federal Chancellery.
and the College of Europe in Bruges resulted in some new tasks for the German Council – namely the scholarship selection process for the College. The German Council also organised “European Schoolday”, first held in 1953, but renamed in 1978 as The European Competition, in which school-goers are asked to acquaint themselves with the concept of European integration. Above all, the German Council tried to mobilise the German public by taking part in International Congresses. It also carried out opinion polls, demonstrations and published information for members and the media
.
Although European integration was advanced by the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community
in 1951 and the signing of the Treaty of Rome
to establish the European Economic Community
(EEC) and Euratom in 1957, significant disagreement concerning the future of Europe remained, both between the National Councils and within the German Council itself. One controversial issue was the necessity of a European Constitution, for example.
The lack of transparency in the leadership of Kogon led to his replacement as President in 1954 by Ernst Friedlaender, who reformed the organisational structure of the German National Council. Friedlaender subsequently fell ill and vacated his post in 1958. Hans Furler was chosen as his successor.
Meanwhile, the number of member organisations of the German Council steadily increased and regional organisations were established. Today European Movement Germany boasts 14 regional committees.
were subsequently retained so that they could be utilised for further elections.
The eighties were characterised by a self-conscious euro-sclerosis, triggered by controversies over agricultural subsidies and the EU budget. This also hindered the activities of the German Council. The crisis was overcome with the adoption of the Single European Act
(1987) followed by Treaty amendments of Maastricht (1993) and Amsterdam
(1999). In this context the Federal Government and the German National Council worked even more closely to promote the discussion of, and the dissemination of information about, current political questions concerning Europe
.
The Organisation’s education and media work was strengthened through the founding of the “Women of Europe – Germany” Award in 1991 and also through debates about the economy and monetary union, the Constitutional Treaty and eastern enlargement
, for which EM Germany served as a forum. In particular, EM Germany influenced the work of the Constitutional Convention, thanks to a study group formed in conjunction with Europa-Union. It also presented policy documents concerning an improvement of the capacity to act and the legitimation of the EU to the President of the Convention Valéry Giscard d’Estaing. From 2004, it’s specialist work on the EU was further expanded through the development of a work programme on Europe-Communication and the European perspective. The best known EM Germany projects are those in the various areas of the member organisations and also the regular EU debriefings and EU briefings in the embassies in Berlin.
The Berlin office was opened in the late nineties and has since become EM Germany’s headquarters. Since 2006 the office can be found on Sophienstrasse in Berlin-Mitte. In the same year the Articles of Association were substantially remodelled so that every member organisation would have a vote at the Annual General Meeting and would pay an annual subscription. The range of member organisations has also become increasingly diverse.
In 2009 EM Germany celebrated its 60th anniversary and in 2010 EM Germany reached a record membership level of 202 organisations. In just 7 years the organisation has accumulated over 70 new memberships. In order to accommodate new members more efficiently, the Board of Directors now decides on the admission of new members. The 2010 AGM decided to dedicate themselves to “Good Governance” in the EU and on German EU-stakeholders. The work programme for 2010/11 stressed that the position of stakeholders and civil society in the Lisbon Treaty was a new concept that needed to be addressed.
A relatively new instrument of EM Germany is the bi-annual survey. On the occasion of each European Council Presidency, possible topics for this survey will be obtained from the member organisations.
Business networking
Business networking is a socioeconomic activity by which groups of like-minded businesspeople recognize, create, or act upon business opportunities. A business network is a type of social network whose reason for existing is business activity...
of interest groups in the field of EU politics in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It cooperates closely with all EU stakeholders on a national and European level, most particularly with the German Federal Government and the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
. The 224 member organisations represent various social groups including business and professional associations, trade unions, educational and academic institutions, foundations and political parties
Political Parties
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
, amongst others. The aim is to continually improve, in close cooperation with political institutions, communication on European politics, European perspectives and the coordination of European policy. The EM Germany network is a member of European Movement International.
Activities, Projects and Policy
European Movement Germany is a not-for-profit, registered organisation which is recognised and supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and by the federal budget at institutional level. It is therefore not a non-governmental organisation in the narrow sense. Although its legal status and institutional relationship to the Foreign Office is similar to the Goethe Institute, EM Germany has not come to a framework agreement with the Foreign Office. It works closely with the European Division of the Foreign Office as regards content and organisation. In accordance with the European Division, certain concepts of European communication and policy-planning were adopted. Within this framework EM Germany provides information sessions on European topics to its member organisations. Topics range from discussions of the Commission’s consultation procedure to information events on the decisions of the European CouncilEuropean Council
The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy...
.
EM Germany is responsible for choosing running the application process for German students who wish to apply for scholarships to the College of Europe
College of Europe
The College of Europe is an independent university institute of postgraduate European studies with the main campus in Bruges, Belgium...
in Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
and Natolin
Natolin
Natolin is a historic park and nature reserve on the southern edge of Warsaw, Poland. "Natolin" is also the name of a neighborhood located to the west of the park — a part of Warsaw's southernmost Ursynów district....
. The Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
office organises this European competition in which 200,000 German students participate each year. Due to the diverse nature of EM Germany’s membership, consisting of over 200 organisations, EM Germany cannot always take a clear position on certain matters. For this reason, decisions commonly made by NGOs are not made by EM Germany. Key activities include commenting on the regulatory framework of German European policy, European Public Relations and posing general questions on the development of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
Cooperation with other organisations
The network differs from Europa-Union Germany or Paneuropa-Union in that it is not open to personal membership. EM Germany works primarily to improve the acceptance and the regulatory framework of European policy in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and avoids activities that could be better undertaken by its member organisations. It works in an advisory capacity with representatives of the federal states on the coordination of European public-relations in the German state, in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
and in the Commission. Together with its institutional partner, the Foreign Office, the network promotes dialogue by organising events. Target groups include EU stakeholders, the Federal State, the province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
s, region
Region
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
s and civil society
Civil society
Civil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...
.
Due to the multitude of EU-debriefings and EU analysis on important European developments, EM Germany has intensified its cooperation with its member organisations, the European Commission Representation in Germany and other ministries. In 2009 the network was awarded the “Euractiv Award for Debating Europe Nationally”.
Structure
The bodies that make up European Movement Germany are as follows: the Annual General Meeting (AGM), the Board of Directors and the Secretary General. The AGM convenes once a year. Each organisation has one vote in the meeting.The Board leads the activities of the association and represents the various sectors: business, trade unions, education and science, political parties and others. Since June 2006 the former representative of Daimler AG Dieter Spöri
Dieter Spöri
Dieter Spöri is a German politician affiliated with the Social Democratic Party of Germany . He has been the President of the European Movement Germany since 2006, and was Deputy Prime Minister and minister of Economic Affairs of the State of Baden-Württemberg from 1992 to 1996.-Studies and early...
has been President of the Board. Current vice-Presidents are Michael Gahler
Michael Gahler
Michael Gahler is a German politician and Member of the European Parliament for Hesse. He is a member of the conservative Christian Democratic Union, part of the European People's Party....
, MEP; Axel Schäfer MdB and Michaele Schreyer
Michaele Schreyer
Michaele Schreyer was a commissioner of the European Commission from September 1999 to November 2004. She was in charge of the budget portfolio...
, former EU Commissioner.
Members are chosen from the following various organisations:
- Trade unions/Professional associations: Annelie Buntenbach, DGB Confederation of German trade-unions; Kirsten Lühmann MdB, dbb Civil Service Federation and Tarif Union.
- Business/Commercial firms: Thomas Wehnert The German Brands Association; Thomas Stammen, Federal Association of German Credit Unions/ Cooperative Banks.
- Science/Education/Foundations: Karen Hauff, Hertie School of GovernanceHertie School of GovernanceThe Hertie School of Governance is a private university in Berlin, in the historic Quartier 110 of Friedrichstraße. The school is regarded as one of the leading policy institutes in Europe...
; Dr Christine Pütz, Heinrich Böll FoundationHeinrich Böll FoundationThe Heinrich Böll Foundation is a German, legally independent political foundation. Affiliated with the German Green Party, it was originally founded in 1987 and rebuilt in 1997...
. - Organisations with the aim of promoting European integrationEuropean integrationEuropean integration is the process of industrial, political, legal, economic integration of states wholly or partially in Europe...
: Ernst Johansson Europa-Union Germany; Carola Lakotta-Just, European Movement Lower Saxony. - Political parties: Rainder Steenblock Alliance, Bündis 90/Green Party; Michael Stübgen, MdB Christian Democratic UnionChristian Democratic Union (Germany)The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
; Ursula Männle MdL former Minister, Christian Social UnionChristian Social Union of BavariaThe Christian Social Union in Bavaria is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It operates only in the state of Bavaria, while its sister party, the Christian Democratic Union , operates in the other 15 states of Germany...
; Oliver Luksic MdB Free Democratic PartyFree Democratic Party (Germany)The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
; Frank Zimmermann, Social Democratic Party of Germany. - Others: Michael Dollinger, Young European Federalists; Dieter Liebrecht-Koch MEP, European Movement Thuringia; Walter Leitermann, CEMRCouncil of European Municipalities and RegionsThe Council of European Municipalities and Regions is the largest organisation of local and regional governments in Europe. Its members are national associations of towns, municipalities and regions from 39 countries...
-German section; Katharina Wolff, Deutscher Juristenbund e.V
Bernd Hüttemann
Bernd Hüttemann
Bernd Hüttemann, born on December 8th 1970 in Paderborn, is Secretary General of the European Movement Germany.Growing up in Paderborn, he studied Political Science, History and European Law at the University of Bonn. After graduating he first worked as a PR-Consultant and for the Robert Bosch...
has been Secretary General since 2003.
Honorary Presidents are: Hans-Dietrich Genscher, former Federal Foreign Minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
; Philipp Jenniger, former President of the Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
; Annemarie Renger, former President of the Bundestag; Walter Scheel, former German President; Rita Süssmuth, former President of the Bundestag; Wolfgang Thierse, former President of the Bundestag; Monika Wulf-Mathies, former EU Commissioner.
EM Germany is also represented on the board of EM International: Jo Leinen
Jo Leinen
Jo Leinen is a Member of the European Parliament. He was elected on the SPD ticket and acts as a representative within the Party of European Socialists group...
is Vice-President of European Movement International and Bernd Hüttemann
Bernd Hüttemann
Bernd Hüttemann, born on December 8th 1970 in Paderborn, is Secretary General of the European Movement Germany.Growing up in Paderborn, he studied Political Science, History and European Law at the University of Bonn. After graduating he first worked as a PR-Consultant and for the Robert Bosch...
acts as a member. Other Germans on the board include Reiner Wieland for the Free Democratic Party (Vice-President) and Katharina Erdmenger for the Alliance of European Trade-Unions.
History
EM Germany was founded as part of European Movement International on 13 June 1949. Former ReichstagReichstag (Weimar Republic)
The Reichstag was the parliament of Weimar Republic .German constitution commentators consider only the Reichstag and now the Bundestag the German parliament. Another organ deals with legislation too: in 1867-1918 the Bundesrat, in 1919–1933 the Reichsrat and from 1949 on the Bundesrat...
President Paul Löbe was the founding President and held this position until 1954.
Early Years
Althought thoughts of a united EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
were already centuries old, the notion became concrete in the aftermath of the Second World War. Churchill’s famous speech in Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
in September 1946 was highly influential in this regard. In this speech he advocated a new order in Europe; one of cooperation between the independent states of Europe. His son-in-law, Duncan Sandys
Duncan Sandys
Edwin Duncan Sandys, Baron Duncan-Sandys CH PC was a British politician and a minister in successive Conservative governments in the 1950s and 1960s...
, took on this idea. As the leader of the United Europe Movement he organised the Hague Congress
Hague Congress (1948)
The Hague Congress was held in the Congress of Europe in Hague from 7–11 May 1948 with 750 delegates participating from around Europe as well as observers from Canada and the United States....
of the European Movement. The objective of this Congress was to establish National Councils which would then join an International Council of European Movement on a European level. Significantly, Eugen Kogon
Eugen Kogon
Eugen Kogon was a historian and a survivor of the Holocaust. A well-known Christian opponent of the Nazi Party, he was arrested more than once and spent six years at Buchenwald concentration camp. Kogon was known in Germany as a journalist, sociologist, political scientist, author and politician...
, President of Europa-Union from 1949, supported the establishment of the German Council of the European Movement by inviting, along with Sandys, approximately 90 personalities from public affairs in January 1949 to set up a provisional Executive Committee.
On the 13 June 1949 the German Council of the European Movement was founded in Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
. At the inaugural meeting, 252 highly regarded members were chosen from political parties, as well as from various strands of West German society. Former President of the Reichstag Paul Löbe was the founding President and held this office until 1954. Eugen Kogon took on the role of Chairman of the Executive Committee of the German Council. His deputy was Hermann Brill
Hermann Brill
thumb|Dr. Hermann BrillDr. Hermann Louis Brill was a German doctor of law and a politician .- Biography :...
. Among the members were also Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer was a German statesman. He was the chancellor of the West Germany from 1949 to 1963. He is widely recognised as a person who led his country from the ruins of World War II to a powerful and prosperous nation that had forged close relations with old enemies France,...
, Ludwig Erhard
Ludwig Erhard
Ludwig Wilhelm Erhard was a German politician affiliated with the CDU and Chancellor of West Germany from 1963 until 1966. He is notable for his leading role in German postwar economic reform and economic recovery , particularly in his role as Minister of Economics under Chancellor Konrad Adenauer...
and Theodore Heuss.
After the first meeting of the German Parliament, the German parliamentary section of the German Council was created on the 9 November 1949. Carlo Schmid
Carlo Schmid (German politician)
Carlo Schmid was a German academic and politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany .Schmid is one of the most important authors of both the German Basic Law and the Godesberg Program of the SPD...
became its Chairman; having previously been elected as Vice-President of the International Parliamentary Group of European Movement. The Deputy Chairman of this section, which by 1950 had 244 Members of Parliament, was Heinrich von Brentano. The Secretary was Fritz Erler.
At its inception, the European Movement possessed a non-partisan character. The work of the German Council was financed through public funding, through State grants in the first months and, from 1950 onwards, by the Federal Chancellery.
Growth in activities and reforms
A more defined role for the German Council slowly became apparent. The Executive Committee under the leadership of Eugen Kogons met regularly and made statements on European policy, particularly in the areas of business, social policy, justice and culture, as well as offering suggestions on the Government’s coordination of European policy. The foundation of the European Cultural Centre in GenevaGeneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and the College of Europe in Bruges resulted in some new tasks for the German Council – namely the scholarship selection process for the College. The German Council also organised “European Schoolday”, first held in 1953, but renamed in 1978 as The European Competition, in which school-goers are asked to acquaint themselves with the concept of European integration. Above all, the German Council tried to mobilise the German public by taking part in International Congresses. It also carried out opinion polls, demonstrations and published information for members and the media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
.
Although European integration was advanced by the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community
European Coal and Steel Community
The European Coal and Steel Community was a six-nation international organisation serving to unify Western Europe during the Cold War and create the foundation for the modern-day developments of the European Union...
in 1951 and the signing of the Treaty of Rome
Treaty of Rome
The Treaty of Rome, officially the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, was an international agreement that led to the founding of the European Economic Community on 1 January 1958. It was signed on 25 March 1957 by Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany...
to establish the European Economic Community
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
(EEC) and Euratom in 1957, significant disagreement concerning the future of Europe remained, both between the National Councils and within the German Council itself. One controversial issue was the necessity of a European Constitution, for example.
The lack of transparency in the leadership of Kogon led to his replacement as President in 1954 by Ernst Friedlaender, who reformed the organisational structure of the German National Council. Friedlaender subsequently fell ill and vacated his post in 1958. Hans Furler was chosen as his successor.
The sixties and seventies dominated by direct elections to the European Parliament
During the sixties the Europa-Union and the German National Council boosted their impact by establishing a joint press office. Throughout this period, direct elections to the Parliament and an extension of Parliament competences were promoted so that government action could more accurately reflect the wishes of the public. The second half of the seventies was dominated by direct elections scheduled for 1979 and saw increased activity in public relations which focused on encouraging voter turnout and providing information regarding party political groupings on a European level.Meanwhile, the number of member organisations of the German Council steadily increased and regional organisations were established. Today European Movement Germany boasts 14 regional committees.
Overcoming the “Euro sclerosis” of the eighties
Although the number of member organisations was growing, the German Council was increasingly faced with financial problems. This meant that the information service had to be discontinued. However the tried and tested structures that were already created for the preparation of the first direct elections to the European ParliamentEuropean Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
were subsequently retained so that they could be utilised for further elections.
The eighties were characterised by a self-conscious euro-sclerosis, triggered by controversies over agricultural subsidies and the EU budget. This also hindered the activities of the German Council. The crisis was overcome with the adoption of the Single European Act
Single European Act
The Single European Act was the first major revision of the 1957 Treaty of Rome. The Act set the European Community an objective of establishing a Single Market by 31 December 1992, and codified European Political Cooperation, the forerunner of the European Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy...
(1987) followed by Treaty amendments of Maastricht (1993) and Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
(1999). In this context the Federal Government and the German National Council worked even more closely to promote the discussion of, and the dissemination of information about, current political questions concerning Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Advances in the last 20 years
In the nineties, the name of the Organisation was aligned with other national sections of European Movement International so that the German Council was henceforth known as European Movement Germany (EM Germany).The Organisation’s education and media work was strengthened through the founding of the “Women of Europe – Germany” Award in 1991 and also through debates about the economy and monetary union, the Constitutional Treaty and eastern enlargement
Enlargement of the European Union
The Enlargement of the European Union is the process of expanding the European Union through the accession of new member states. This process began with the Inner Six, who founded the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952...
, for which EM Germany served as a forum. In particular, EM Germany influenced the work of the Constitutional Convention, thanks to a study group formed in conjunction with Europa-Union. It also presented policy documents concerning an improvement of the capacity to act and the legitimation of the EU to the President of the Convention Valéry Giscard d’Estaing. From 2004, it’s specialist work on the EU was further expanded through the development of a work programme on Europe-Communication and the European perspective. The best known EM Germany projects are those in the various areas of the member organisations and also the regular EU debriefings and EU briefings in the embassies in Berlin.
The Berlin office was opened in the late nineties and has since become EM Germany’s headquarters. Since 2006 the office can be found on Sophienstrasse in Berlin-Mitte. In the same year the Articles of Association were substantially remodelled so that every member organisation would have a vote at the Annual General Meeting and would pay an annual subscription. The range of member organisations has also become increasingly diverse.
In 2009 EM Germany celebrated its 60th anniversary and in 2010 EM Germany reached a record membership level of 202 organisations. In just 7 years the organisation has accumulated over 70 new memberships. In order to accommodate new members more efficiently, the Board of Directors now decides on the admission of new members. The 2010 AGM decided to dedicate themselves to “Good Governance” in the EU and on German EU-stakeholders. The work programme for 2010/11 stressed that the position of stakeholders and civil society in the Lisbon Treaty was a new concept that needed to be addressed.
A relatively new instrument of EM Germany is the bi-annual survey. On the occasion of each European Council Presidency, possible topics for this survey will be obtained from the member organisations.
Presidents since 1949
- Paul LöbePaul LöbePaul Löbe was a German politician and member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany .-Life and career:...
, President of the BundestagBundestagThe Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
, President 1949-1951 - Eugen KogonEugen KogonEugen Kogon was a historian and a survivor of the Holocaust. A well-known Christian opponent of the Nazi Party, he was arrested more than once and spent six years at Buchenwald concentration camp. Kogon was known in Germany as a journalist, sociologist, political scientist, author and politician...
, 1951-1953 - Ernst Friedlaender, 1954-1958
- Hans FurlerHans FurlerHans Furler was a German christian-democrat politician.He was the president of the European Parliament from 1956 to 1958 and from 1960 to 1962.-Early life:...
, 1958-1966 - Ernst Majonica, 1966-1976
- Horst Seefeld, former MEP, 1976-1980
- Walter ScheelWalter ScheelWalter Scheel is a German politician . He served as Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development from 1961 to 1966, Foreign Minister of Germany and Vice Chancellor from 1969 to 1974, acting Chancellor of Germany from 7 May to 16 May 1974 , and finally as President of the Federal...
, former President of the Bundestag, 1980-1985 - Philipp JenningerPhilipp JenningerPhilipp Jenninger is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union and diplomat. He served as Member of the German Parliament, the Bundestag , Minister of State at the German Chancellery , President of the Bundestag , German Ambassador to Austria and German Ambassador to the Holy See...
, former President of the Bundestag, 1985-1990 - Annemarie RengerAnnemarie RengerAnnemarie Renger , , was a German politician for the “Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands” ....
, former President of the Bundestag, 1990-1992 - Hans-Dietrich GenscherHans-Dietrich GenscherHans-Dietrich Genscher is a German politician of the liberal Free Democratic Party . He served as Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of Germany from 1974 to 1982 and, after a two-week pause, from 1982 to 1992, making him Germany's longest serving Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor...
, former Minister for Foreign Affairs, 1992-1994 - Rita SüssmuthRita SüssmuthRita Süssmuth is a German politician and a member of the Christian Democratic Union .From 1985 to 1988, Süssmuth was Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth under Chancellor Helmut Kohl. She was a member of the German Bundestag from 1987 to 2002...
, former President of the Bundestag, 1994-1998 - Wolfgang ThierseWolfgang ThierseWolfgang Thierse is a German politician .- Early years in the GDR :Thierse was born in Breslau . He is a Roman Catholic and grew up in East Germany. After his A-levels he first worked as a typesetter in Weimar...
, former President of the Bundestag, 1998-2000 - Monika Wulf-Mathies, former EU Commissioner, 2000-2006
- Dieter SpöriDieter SpöriDieter Spöri is a German politician affiliated with the Social Democratic Party of Germany . He has been the President of the European Movement Germany since 2006, and was Deputy Prime Minister and minister of Economic Affairs of the State of Baden-Württemberg from 1992 to 1996.-Studies and early...
, former Minister, since 2006
Member Organisations
EM Germany consists of currently 224 member organisations. The Board takes the decisions upon new members. European Movement Germany’s members are:External links
- EM Germany
- EM Germany on TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
- Fansite on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- Presentation on Foreign Office's website
- Archives of the European Movement by FESFriedrich Ebert FoundationThe Friedrich Ebert Foundation is a German political foundation associated with the Social Democratic Party of Germany , yet independent of it...
Literature
- Adriana Lettrari: Brüssel in Berlin (er)leben. In: Zeitschrift für Politikberatung. Nr. 1, VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden 2010, ISSN 1865-4789, S. 69-73 (http://www.vsjournals.de/index.php;do=show_article/sid=09d605c07a3a77524f08fc6b4824e81c/site=zpb/area=pol/id=8384).
- Wilfried Loth: Das Europa der Verbände: Die Europa-Union im europäischen Integrationsprozess (1949–1969). In: Jürgen Mittag/Wolfgang Wessels (Hrsg.): „Der Kölsche Europäer“ – Friedrich Carl von Oppenheim und die Europäische Einigung. Aschendorff Verlag, Münster 2005
- Europäische Bewegung Deutschland (Hrsg.): Festschrift „60 Jahre Europäische Bewegung Deutschland“. Berlin 2009 (http://www.europaeische-bewegung.de/index.php?id=8548).