Jeunes Européens Fédéralistes
Encyclopedia
Young European Federalists (JEF, French Jeunes Européens fédéralistes) is a political youth organisation. Active in most European countries and with around 25,000 members, it seeks to promote European integration
through the strengthening and democratisation of the European Union
(EU). JEF has close ties to the European Movement
and the Union of European Federalists and is a full member of the European Youth Forum
(YFJ).
Former activists of JEF are organised in the Friends of JEF.
with a federal structure. At the centre of JEF's political program is the demand for a federal constitution for Europe, whose core element is a two-chamber Parliament
(consisting of a directly elected chamber and a chamber of states). Hereby, JEF insists on the subsidiarity principle as a form of decentralized distribution of powers. Another key element is the demand for a unified foreign and security policy of the European Union. JEF is committed to comprehensive reform of the EU towards more democracy
, participation, transparency, efficiency and sustainability. In addition to the policy objectives, the organisation tries in particular to promote European awareness among young people and encourage civic activism.
Consequently, the organisation encourages debate on European affairs and EU policies while fostering youth mobility and exchanges throughout the continent, thus seeking to involve European Citizens, in particular young people, from all across the continent in the process of European integration
.
.
The Congress elects the President and two Vice Presidents as well as 20 directly elected members of the Federal Committee.
The Federal Committee is chaired by a presidium of three members and adopts the political and strategical guidelines and oversees the activity of the Executive Bureau. It elects four additional members of the Executive Bureau and ratifies the appointment of the Secretary General and the Treasurer.
It meets at least four times every year.
Executive Board Members:
, 1977-1978: Jean Jacques Anglade, 1976-1977: Flor van de Velde, 1974-1976: Julian Priestley
, 1972-74 Peter Osten.
, 1992: Soraya Usmani Martinez, 1989-1991: Irmeli Karhio, 1987-1989: Monica Frassoni
, 1985-1987 Giannis Papageorgiou, 1984-1985: Susana Roson, 1982-1984:Tore Nedrebo, 1981-1982: Eva Finzi, 1980-1981: David Grace, 1977-1980: Jacques Vantomme, 1975-1977: Gerda Grootjes
(MEPs), including Richard Corbett
and Jo Leinen
(PES
), Tom Spencer
(Conservative) and Monica Frassoni
(Greens
), and its former Secretary General Sir Julian Priestley
served as JEF officers in their teens and twenties.
European integration
European integration is the process of industrial, political, legal, economic integration of states wholly or partially in Europe...
through the strengthening and democratisation 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...
(EU). JEF has close ties to the European Movement
European Movement
The European Movement International is a lobbying association that coordinates the efforts of associations and national councils with the goal of promoting European integration, and disseminating information about it.-History:...
and the Union of European Federalists and is a full member of the European Youth Forum
European Youth Forum
The European Youth Forum is the platform of the national youth councils and international non-governmental youth organisations in Europe...
(YFJ).
Former activists of JEF are organised in the Friends of JEF.
Goals
According to its statutes, JEF is a non-partisan and non-denominational European NGO. It advocates for 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...
with a federal structure. At the centre of JEF's political program is the demand for a federal constitution for Europe, whose core element is a two-chamber Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
(consisting of a directly elected chamber and a chamber of states). Hereby, JEF insists on the subsidiarity principle as a form of decentralized distribution of powers. Another key element is the demand for a unified foreign and security policy of the European Union. JEF is committed to comprehensive reform of the EU towards more democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
, participation, transparency, efficiency and sustainability. In addition to the policy objectives, the organisation tries in particular to promote European awareness among young people and encourage civic activism.
Activities
JEF spreads its ideas by the following means:- Campaigns to lobby over a longer period of time for a specific federalist cause.
- Street actions mobilising the entire network to raise awareness of burning European issues among the general public. (Most notably the annual Free Belarus street action, taking place in numerous cities Europe- and worldwide since 2006) http://jef.communicate-europe.co.uk/activities/street-actions/yearly-belarus-action/
- International events such as seminars and trainings on a wide range of topics in different EU and non-EU countries.
- A multilingual, interactive webzine "The New Federalist" where youth can voice their opinion in articles on current European affairs.
- Projects that implement a specific goal and for which specific funding was received.
- Press releases for the advocacy of JEF's objectives towards both public and private organisations.
Consequently, the organisation encourages debate on European affairs and EU policies while fostering youth mobility and exchanges throughout the continent, thus seeking to involve European Citizens, in particular young people, from all across the continent in the process of European integration
European integration
European integration is the process of industrial, political, legal, economic integration of states wholly or partially in Europe...
.
Organisation
JEF has about 25,000 members in 31 widely autonomous national sections, which are coordinated by a European umbrella organisation, JEF-Europe.http://www.jef.eu.JEF-Europe
JEF-Europe is an International association without lucrative purpose (IVZW/AISBL) under Belgian law. The European Secretariat is based in BrusselsBrussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
.
The European Congress
The highest decision-making body of JEF is the European Congress, which meets every two years in a different city. The delegates are elected by the members of national sections or their representatives in proportion to the number of subscribers of each section.The Congress elects the President and two Vice Presidents as well as 20 directly elected members of the Federal Committee.
The Federal Committee
The Federal Committee (FC) meets twice a year and is composed by the President, the two Vice Presidents, the 20 members directly elected by the Congress, and a number of national representatives corresponding appointed by each of the national member sections. The Secretary General, the Treasurer, and additional co-opted members participate in the meeting without a voting right.The Federal Committee is chaired by a presidium of three members and adopts the political and strategical guidelines and oversees the activity of the Executive Bureau. It elects four additional members of the Executive Bureau and ratifies the appointment of the Secretary General and the Treasurer.
The Executive Board
The Executive Board (EB) is chaired by the President and includes the two Vice Presidents, the Secretary General, the Treasurer, and at least four elected Federal Committee members. It is responsible for the implementation of the external and internal policy resolutions adopted by the Congress and the Federal Committee and the management of the organisation.It meets at least four times every year.
The team (2011-2013)
Since the 19th European Congress the Executive Bureau is composed by:- President: Pauline Gessant
- Senior Vice President: Emilia Machuca
- Junior Vice President: Martin Fischer
- Secretary General: Ruben Loodts
- Treasurer: Jakob Andkjær Pedersen
Executive Board Members:
- Sarantis Michalopoulos
- Carlo Maria Palermo
- Radoslava Šeráková
- Andrea Tittelová
Presidents
Since 2011: Pauline Gessant, 2009-2011 Philippe Adriaenssens, 2007-2009: Samuele Pii, 2005-2007: Jan Seifert, 2003-2005: Jon Worth, 2001-2003: Alison Weston, 1999-2001: Paolo Vacca, 1997-1999: Philip Savelkoul, 1995-1997: Ugo Ferruta, 1993-1995: Tor Eigil Hodne, 1991-1993: Stephen Woodard, 1989-1991: Giannis Papageorgiou, 1987-1989: Lars Erik Nordgaard,1985-87: Manfred Auster, 1983-85: Franco Spoltore, 1981-83: David Grace, 1979-1981: Richard CorbettRichard Corbett
Richard Corbett was a Member of the European Parliament for the Labour Party for Yorkshire and the Humber, serving between 1996 and 2009...
, 1977-1978: Jean Jacques Anglade, 1976-1977: Flor van de Velde, 1974-1976: Julian Priestley
Julian Priestley
Sir Julian Priestley , Secretary-General of the European Parliament from 1997-2007.He was educated at St Boniface's Catholic College, Plymouth, and Balliol College, Oxford, graduating in 1972 with an honours degree in philosophy, politics and economics . He was President of the Oxford Union and...
, 1972-74 Peter Osten.
Secretaries General
Since 2010: Ruben Loodts, 2008-2010: Peter Matjašič, 2006-2008: Vassilis Stamogiannis, 2004-2006: Joan Marc Simon, 2002-2004: Marianne Bonnard, 2000-2002: Niki Klesl, 1998-2000: Laura Davis, 1996-1998: Tobias Flessenkemper, 1994-1996: Ingo Linsenmann, 1992-1994: Bernd HüttemannBernd 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...
, 1992: Soraya Usmani Martinez, 1989-1991: Irmeli Karhio, 1987-1989: Monica Frassoni
Monica Frassoni
Monica Frassoni is an Italian politician and was a Member of the European Parliament for the North West of Italy until 2009. She is a member of the Italian Green Party, part of the European Greens. Frassoni was co-chair, together with Daniel Cohn-Bendit, of the European Greens–European Free...
, 1985-1987 Giannis Papageorgiou, 1984-1985: Susana Roson, 1982-1984:Tore Nedrebo, 1981-1982: Eva Finzi, 1980-1981: David Grace, 1977-1980: Jacques Vantomme, 1975-1977: Gerda Grootjes
Notable alumni
Several current and former influential members of 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...
(MEPs), including Richard Corbett
Richard Corbett
Richard Corbett was a Member of the European Parliament for the Labour Party for Yorkshire and the Humber, serving between 1996 and 2009...
and 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...
(PES
Party of European Socialists
The Party of European Socialists is a European political party led by Sergei Stanishev, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The PES comprises social-democratic national-level political parties primarily from Member state of the European Union, as well as other nations of the European continent. The...
), Tom Spencer
Tom Spencer
Tom Spencer may refer to:*Tom Spencer , American former Chicago White Sox outfielder and minor league baseball manager*Tom Spencer , British cricketer and international umpire...
(Conservative) and Monica Frassoni
Monica Frassoni
Monica Frassoni is an Italian politician and was a Member of the European Parliament for the North West of Italy until 2009. She is a member of the Italian Green Party, part of the European Greens. Frassoni was co-chair, together with Daniel Cohn-Bendit, of the European Greens–European Free...
(Greens
European Green Party
The European Green Party is the Green political party at European level. As such it is a federation of green parties in Europe.-History:...
), and its former Secretary General Sir Julian Priestley
Julian Priestley
Sir Julian Priestley , Secretary-General of the European Parliament from 1997-2007.He was educated at St Boniface's Catholic College, Plymouth, and Balliol College, Oxford, graduating in 1972 with an honours degree in philosophy, politics and economics . He was President of the Oxford Union and...
served as JEF officers in their teens and twenties.
See also
- European MovementEuropean MovementThe European Movement International is a lobbying association that coordinates the efforts of associations and national councils with the goal of promoting European integration, and disseminating information about it.-History:...
- FederalismFederalismFederalism is a political concept in which a group of members are bound together by covenant with a governing representative head. The term "federalism" is also used to describe a system of the government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and...
- Federalist flagFederalist flagThe federalist flag, also known as the European Movement flag or the green "E" flag, is a flag commonly used by groups or individuals promoting European federalism, consisting of a large green "E" upon a white background...
- Centre for Studies on FederalismCentre for Studies on FederalismThe Centre for Studies on Federalism was established in November 2000 with the primary purpose of studying and researching the theory and practice of Federalism both as a political doctrine and in its implementation in the institutional systems of the Modern state...
External links
- Young European Federalists
- Europe United
- Friends of JEF JEF's alumnus