Communicating with Constituencies Parliamentarians

1
Communicating with ConstituenciesParliamentarians

• Gordana Stankovic - SID European Programme
• Euforic AGM, June 2006

2
Main Objectives of the SID EP

• Rasing awareness among and bringing information
  to MPs in the EU MSs (especially in the NMS)
  about issues regarding the European development
  cooperation and policy
• Establishing a network of European
  parliamentarians concerned with the European
  development cooperation and policy, with focal
  points (MPs) in each MS
• Make bridges between parliamentarians and policy
  makers on one side, and researchers and academics
  on the other, and connecting the network with
  wider civil society

3
Activities/tools used by SID EP

• Fact-finding missions to NMS
• European/International level conferences
• Breifing Sessions
• Bi-monthly Newsletter for Parlimentarinas for
  European Development Cooperation
• Forging alliances with other networks and
  organisations (i.e. EADI)

4
Challanges of working with parliamentarians

• MP, elected every 4-5 years, hence a danger that
  just as you establish the contact they are gone
  from the parliament
• Very busy people, not a lot of time to devote to
  issues outside parliament
• In the NMS development cooperation is not a high
  priority area

5
Solutions/Approaches

• Make direct/in-person contact with MPs
• Always establish a good (personal) contact with
  secretary and/or adviser to the relevant
  committees (permanent staff)
• Ensure support and interest of other relevant
  stakeholders in a particular country (i.e. MFA)
• Use embassies in the Hague in order to get
  relevant info and to open doors in countries
  where you are approaching MPs.

6
Outstanding issues

• Getting the MPs to be more active in the Network,
  to take ownership for it
• Newsletter, to also become real tool of exchange
  between MPs
• Website not very well utilised