European Movement Germany

52.52660413.399807Koordinaten: 52 ° 31 ' 36 "N, 13 ° 23' 59" O

Rainer Wend, Michael Gahler, Axel Schäfer, Michaele Schreyer, Peter Hahn, Bernd Hiittemann

The European Movement Germany eV (until 1992 German Council of the European Movement ) is a non-partisan coalition of stakeholders in European policies in Germany and institutionally funded intermediary organization of the Foreign Office. It cooperates closely with all EU actors at national and European level, in particular with the federal government, the European Commission and the European Parliament. The 235 member organizations representing different social groups: In addition to numerous organizations, especially professional associations, several foundations and political parties are also individual institutions and even corporations to the members. The aim is to improve, in close cooperation with the political institutions of the European political communication, the European perspective and the European policy coordination in Germany sustainably and to promote the European consideration of their own interests. The network is part of the European Movement International.

Tasks, projects, policy

The European Movement Germany is a recognized non-profit membership organization and is institutionally supported by the Foreign Office about the federal budget. It is therefore not a non-governmental organization in the strict sense, but a quasi- autonomous non-governmental organization ( quango ). Although similar in legal status and institutional relationship with the Foreign Office (AA) to the Goethe Institute, the European Movement has no frame contract with the AA. But it works both content and organization closely with the European Department. The concept of European Communication & European perspective will be voted accordingly. In this frame, the network provides European Movement Germany to its member organizations information sessions on European issues. These are for example, talks about the current consultation process the Commission or briefings to the Council's results.

The EBD is central selection body for German students at the College of Europe in Bruges and Natolin. In addition, the Berlin office of the EBD organized the European competition, with around 70,000 annually participating students. Due to the great diversity within the membership of over 200 organizations, the European Movement Germany can not always clearly position. Classic decisions as usual in non-governmental organizations, under mostly remain. Main topics are statements on conditions of German European policy and European policy public relations and general questions about the development of the European Union.

Cooperation with other organizations

The Network European Movement Germany is in contrast to the European Union, Germany, or the Pan-European Union not open to individual members. It acts primarily to improve the acceptance and the framework for the European policy in Germany and avoids activities that can be taken better of member organizations.

It therefore acts with together with country representatives in an advisory capacity in the coordination of European policy publication of the federal government, the European Parliament and the European Commission. Together with the institutional partners Foreign Office through the network dialogue events. The target group is here actors of the EU, the federal, provincial, regional and civil society.

Due to the large number of EU -De- briefing and EU analysis on major European developments, the cooperation with the member organizations of the European Commission Representation in Germany and other federal departments has intensified. For this work, the network was awarded the 2009 " EurActiv Award for Debating Europe Nationally ".

Organs

Organs of the association are: the General Assembly, the Executive Board and the Secretary General.

The General Assembly meets once a year. In it, all organizations are represented with one vote each.

The Board conducts the business of the association and represents the different organizational areas: business, trade unions, education and science, and other parties. Since July 2012, Rainer Wend, Executive Vice President at Deutsche Post DHL, President of EBD. Vice - presidents are currently Michael Gahler, Axel Schäfer and Michaele Schreyer, Member of the European Commission, retired members are elected by different organizational areas: organizational area union / Code of professional associations: Gabriele Bischoff, DGB - German Federation of Trade Unions; Kirsten Lühmann MP, dbb beamtenbund and tarifunion; Organizational area Business / Companies: Dr. Sabine Hepperle, German Industry and Commerce; Reinhold Ricke, German Savings Banks and Giro Association; Organization science, education, foundations: Gesa - Stefanie Brinckerhoff, Hertie School of Governance gGmbH; January Ulrich Clauss Gustav- Stresemann-Institut; Organizational area " aimed at developing European integration ": Christian Moos, European Union, Germany; Carola Lakotta -Just, European Movement Saxony- Anhalt; Organization section of the Parties: Rainder Steenblock, Alliance 90/The Greens; Michael Stübgen Bundestag, CDU; Ursula Männle Member of Parliament, Minister, retired, CSU; Oliver Luksic Bundestag, FDP; Tilman Tögel, SPD; without organization range: Michael Dollinger, Young European Federalists - JEF; Christine Pütz, Heinrich Böll Foundation; Daniel Sahl Federal Association of German Industry; Katharina Wolf, German Association of Women Lawyers

Secretary General since 2003 Bernd hut man.

Honorary Presidents are Hans -Dietrich Genscher, Foreign Minister, retired; Philipp Jenninger, Bundestag President retired; Annemarie Renger †, Bundestag President; Walter Scheel, former President of; Dieter Spöri, Minister D.; Rita Süssmuth, Bundestag President; Thierse, President of the Bundestag retired; Monika Wulf- Mathies, Member of the European Commission, retired

For the German network of the European Movement International are represented on the Board: President Jo Leinen and as a simple member Bernd hut man. In addition, the following German are represented: the Union of European Federalists Christian Wenning and Christof - Sebastian Klitz for Volkswagen AG / Economic Council of the CDU.

History

The European Movement was founded on 13 June 1949 as the German Council of the European Movement in Wiesbaden. Founding president was until 1954 the former Reichstag President Paul Lobe.

The early years

Even if the euro is already centuries old Page Thank you, the unification ideas were concrete after the Second World War. Initiative was the famous speech by Churchill in Zurich in September 1946, in which he called for the reorganization of Europe, a collaboration of Independent States. His son Duncan Sandys took over the active work. As head of the British United Europe Movement, he organized in May 1948 the Hague Congress of the European movement. The aim was then to establish National Councils of the European Movement, the International Council one should join the European level. Eugen Kogon, from May 1949 President of the European Union, the establishment of the German Council of the European Movement supported largely by inviting in January 1949 about 90 public figures in order to constitute Sandys with a provisional Executive Committee.

The European Movement was founded on 13 June 1949 as the German Council of the European Movement in Wiesbaden. At the constituent meeting of 252 high-profile members of political parties and various levels of social life in West Germany were elected. Founding president was the former president of the Reichstag Paul Lobe, who has held this position until 1954. The Office of the Chairman of the Council's Executive Committee took Kogon, second chairman was Brill. Its members included, inter alia, Konrad Adenauer, Ludwig Erhard and Theodor Heuss.

After the first German Bundestag had met, the German Parliamentary Section of the European Movement was created on November 9, 1949, chaired by Carlo Schmid took over. Carlo Schmid had previously been elected Vice-President of the International Parliamentary Friendship Group of the International European Movement. Vice Chairman of the Section, who joined yet 244 MPs until 1950, was Heinrich von Brentano, Secretary Fritz Erler.

Already at start up times possessed the European Movement a bipartisan character. Funding for the work of the German Council was made from public funds in the first few months by grants from the countries and from 1950 through funding from the Federal Chancellery.

Job growth and reforms

Slowly, a more precise role for the German Council of the European Movement apparent. The Executive Committee under the direction of Eugen Kogon met regularly and gave opinions on European issues, particularly in the areas Wirtschschaft, social policy, law and culture, as well as proposals for European policy coordination of the German government. With the establishment of the European Cultural Centre in Geneva and the College of Europe in Bruges new tasks the German Council came to, because it chose the Fellows of the College of. The Council also organized the 1953 established European school (since 1978 under the name of European competition ), the student should become familiar with the idea of ​​integration. Furthermore, the Council tried to mobilize the German public, by participating in international conferences, opinion polls conducted, published rallies and information for the press and members.

Although European integration through the Coal and Steel Community (also ECSC) was promoted in 1951 and the Treaty of Rome, the founding of the EEC and Euratom in 1957, considerable disagreement over the future of Europe recorded from (eg about the need of a constitution for the continent ) both between national and within the German Council.

The lack of transparent management style Kogon led in 1954 to his replacement as president by Ernst Friedlaender, who reformed the organizational structures of the German Council of the European Movement. However, after this ill and had his offices in 1958, Hans Furler was elected his successor.

The 60s and 70s in the sign of direct elections to the European Parliament

During the 60 -toothed European Union and German Council increased their activities, for example by setting up a joint press office. In order to bring government action and public opinion more in line, the direct election and a strengthening of the powers of the European Parliament called for during the 60s and 70s. The second half of the 70s was marked by the date set for 1979 direct elections, particularly with regard to a broad community-based public relations, which put the emphasis on advertising for turnout and information about mergers party at European level.

In parallel, the number of member organizations steadily and there were founded regional organizations - even today, there are 14 National Committee.

Overcoming the " Euro -sclerosis" of the 80s

Although the number of member organizations increased steadily, the German Council of the European Movement looked more and more faced with financial problems, so the news service had to be stopped. The tested structures that had already been made ​​for the preparation of the first direct election, but remained in the following years in order to support more options.

The 80s were characterized by a certain " Euro -sclerosis", triggered by controversies over agricultural subsidies and the EU budget, which paralyzed the activities of the German Council. The crisis was overcome with the adoption of the Single European Act (1987 ), followed by the treaty revisions of Maastricht ( 1993) and Amsterdam ( 1999). In this context, the Federal Government and the German Council working more closely together in the discussion and information about current European issues.

Innovations in the last 20 years

During the 90's the name of the organization was aligned with the other national sections of the International European movement, so that the German Council established European Movement Germany ( EBD) was called.

The education and media work has been strengthened, including through the establishment of the price women Europe - Germany in 1991, but also by the debates on the Economic and Monetary Union, the Constitution, and the eastward expansion, for which the EBD served as a forum. She coined in particular the work of the Constitutional Convention, thanks to a study group, which was established with the European Union and position papers concerning an improved capacity and legitimacy of the EU to the President of the Convention, Valéry Giscard d' Estaing handed. As of 2004, the technical detail to the EU was further formed by the development of a working concept for Europe Communication and European perspective. The best-known project of EBD are at different locations at member organizations but taking place in embassies in Berlin EU -De- briefing and EU briefings.

The Berlin office was opened in the late '90s, and has become the main office; Since 2006, the seat in the Sophie Straße in Berlin -Mitte. In the same year the Statute of the EBD has been fundamentally reformed, so that now each member organization has one vote in the General Assembly and must pay an annual subscription. The range of organizations has also grown increasingly elaborate.

2009 celebrated the European Movement Germany its 60th anniversary. 2010 reached the EBD a record membership of 202 organizations. Thus, the club has grown in just 7 years of more than 70 new organizations. To be able to accept new members rapidly, that the Board may choose to take on. The General Assembly of 2010 decided to intensify the good governance to prescribe in the European Union and the German EU actors. The work program 2010/11 emphasizes that the position of stakeholders and the civil society in the Lisbon Treaty make a new concept needed.

A relatively new tool EBD are surveys among the member organizations. On the occasion of the respective EU Presidency of the members were surveyed since 2008 possible every six months topics. Since 2012, the EBD rises together with EurActiv once a year the European political interests under the title " EU trends ." 2011, the format " EP rapporteur in dialogue" was introduced in order to highlight the growing importance of the European Parliament in the legislative process. Since the fall of 2012, there is a dialogue format with the Europe Minister of State at the Foreign Office Michael Georg link.

President since 1949

• Paul Lobe, President of the Bundestag, President 1949-1951
• Eugen Kogon, 1951-1953
• Hans Furler, 1958-1966
• Ernst Majonica, 1966-1976
• Horst Seefeld, MEP ai, 1976-1980
• Walter Scheel, former Federal President, 1980-1985
• Philipp Jenninger, Bundestag President retired, 1985-1990
• Annemarie Renger, Bundestag President, 1990-1992
• Hans -Dietrich Genscher, Foreign Minister, retired, 1992-1994
• Rita Süssmuth, Bundestag President, 1994-1998
• Thierse, President of the Bundestag retired, 1998-2000
• Monika Wulf- Mathies, Member of the European Commission, retired, 2000-2006
• Dieter Spöri, Minister D., 2006-2012
• Rainer Wend, since 2012

Secretaries-General since 1949

• Walter Hummel Home, 1949-1952
• Ernst Günter Focke, 1952-1961
• Berthold Finkelstein, 1961-1963
• Karlheinz Koppe, 1963-1970
• Gerhard Eick Horn, 1970-1991
• Horst Brauner, 1991-1994
• Hartmut Marhold, 1994-2002
• Axel Schäfer, 2002-2003
• Bernd hut man since 2003

Other personalities

• Heinrich von Brentano, vice president of the parliamentary section
• Elly Heuss- Knapp ( politician ), Vice-President in 1949
• Friedrich Carl von Oppenheim, Vice President
• Anna Siemsen, Member of the Executive Council in 1950

Member organizations

The European Movement Germany currently consists of 235 member organizations (as of December 2013). The recording will be decided by the Board.

See list of members of the European Movement Germany.