Bedingungsloses Grundeinkommen in ganz Europa!

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Bedingungsloses Grundeinkommen in ganz Europa!

• Europäische BürgerInnen-Initiative
  Grundeinkommen.
• Ergebnis Analyse Zukunftsperspektiven
• (7. Mai 2014)

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• Das BGE ist ein Geldbetrag,
• der bedingungslos von Geburt bis zum Lebensende
• an alle Menschen personenbezogen ausgezahlt wird.
  
• Dieser Betrag muss hoch genug sein, um ein zwar
  bescheidenes aber selbstbestimmtes Leben in Würde
  führen zu können.
• Er muss die Möglichkeit bieten, an der
  Gesellschaft teilzunehmen und sie mitzugestalten.
  
• Das BGE ersetzt nicht den Sozialstaat sondern
  transformiert das Sozialsystem von einem
  kompensatorischen zu einem emanzipatorischen.

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Ziele der BürgerInnen-Initiative

• Die Europäische BürgerInnen-Initiative
  Bedingungsloses Grundeinkommen hatte die
  Erforschung eines Weges zu emanzipatorischen
  sozialstaatlichen Rahmenbedingungen in der EU zum
  Ziel.
• Langfristig geht es darum, allen Menschen in der
  EU die Befriedigung ihrer materiellen Bedürfnisse
  zur Führung eines würdevollen Lebens gemäß den
  Vorgaben der EU-Verträge als bedingungsloses
  individuelles Recht zu garantieren und ihre
  gesellschaftliche Teilnahme durch die Einführung
  eines Bedingungslosen Grundeinkommen zu stärken.

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Ergebnis

• Pressemitteilung Runder Tisch Grundeinkommen
  (Austria)
• Wien, 09.01.2014
• Aufwärtstrend im Endspurt für ein Grundeinkommen
• Nur noch wenige Tage für die EU-BürgerInnen-Initia
  tive Bedingungsloses Grundeinkommen, um doch noch
  die Million zu knacken. Die Anzahl der
  Unterschriften wächst so schnell wie noch nie.

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Ergebnis
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Slowenien vor Kroatien und Belgien

• Außerdem müssten vorgegebene Quoten in mindestens
  sieben Staaten überschritten werden.
• Slowenien und Kroatien haben diese Vorgabe
  bereits erfüllt.
• Als nächstes Land könnte Belgien die Marke
  überschreiten. Es fehlen nur noch etwa 2.000
  Unterschriften. Dass das an einem einzigen Tag
  möglich wäre, zeigte gerade Bulgarien. An einem
  Tag wurden in Belgien immerhin über 300
  Unterschriften gesammelt.

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• In absoluten Zahlen liegen erwartungsgemäß die
  bevölkerungsreichsten Länder voran
• Deutschland mit über 35.000
• vor Frankreich mit über 28.000
• und Spanien mit über 21.000

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Ergebnis Stand an Unterschriften( Angabe
bezüglich des Quotums)

• 1. Bulgaria 237,1
• 2. Slovenia 154,3
• 3. Croatia 135,5
• 4. Belgium 115,2
• 5. Estonia 108,5
• 6. Netherlands 104,3
• 7. Hungary 88,0
• 8. France 67,4
• 9. Slovakia 65,2
• 10. Sweden 64,0
• 11. Spain 62,8
• 12. Austria 59,0 (abgegeben
  8.436, gültig 7.060)
• 13. Germany 54,6 (abgegeben 41.886,
  gültig 37.799)
• TOTAL 49,6

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• Obwohl das offizielle Ziel nicht erreicht wurde,
  gibt es viele Gründe, warum die Unterstützer
  eines gerechteren und einfacheren sozialen
  Sicherheitssystems zufrieden sind.
• Sechs Länder - Bulgarien, Slowenien, Kroatien,
  Belgien, Niederlande und Estland erreichten ihre
  Unterschrifts-Quoten und ein Land, Ungarn, war
  nahe daran, seine Quote zu erreichen.
• Die EBI ist nur der Anfang einer europäischen
  Bewegung in Richtung eines EU-weiten
  Bedingungslosen Grundeinkommens!
• Neue Gruppen wurden in vielen Ländern gebildet,
  um diese Kampagne zu unterstützen, und die
  bestehenden BGE-Netzwerke wurden durch diese
  gestärkt.

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Analyse

• Der Ombudsman hat einen Fragenkatalog versendet,
  den die Organisatoren einer Europäischen
  BürgerInnen-Initiative (EBI) beantworten sollen,
  um daraus eine Analyse für Verbesserungen des
  Instrumentes EBI einzuleiten.
• Kurzfassung der 10 Fragen und Antworten aus der
  Sicht unserer Initative

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1. Frage

• Bekanntheit der EBI in der Öffentlichkeit?
• The citizensinitiative is not sufficiently well
  known among the general public. To raise
  awareness the media have to report at least from
  time to time about this instrument and the
  current status of ECIs in progress.

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2. Frage

• Sind die Richtlinien der EU zur EBI ausreichend?
• The information and guidance provided in the
  website is sufficient and in direct contacts the
  support was excellent quick and clear, however
  sometimes disappointing, because no urgent
  proposed improvement of the regulation were
  provisionally supported, taking into account,
  that the final decision could be made after the
  validation procedure for the regulation in 2015.

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3. Frage

• Benutzerfreundlichkeit der Software?
• The actual filling in form is not user-friendly
  because there is to much information on the
  signing page which is not relevant to the
  singing.
• An important point is that the signer does not
  have any response and proof of signing except the
  long number on the last page.

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4. Frage

• Ist die Verlängerung der deadline zum Sammeln der
  Unterschriften fair gestaltet worden?
• NO, this was not the case!!!
• Because almost all signatures are online
  signatures, it would be just fair and equitable,
  if the EU agrees that the one-year-running-time
  of any initiative should start only with the
  possibility to sign online. This could be applied
  also in a retroactive way concerning the running
  initiatives.

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5. Frage

• Ist das Unterzeichnen über Papier-Formulare
  sinnvoll?
• It is necessary to have in addition to the online
  collection possibility, the possibility to
  collect signatures on paper forms. This is
  important, because not all persons have an
  internet access.
• The problem is, that the paper forms (and the
  online fields) are different in the Member
  States. The Annex III of the Regulation should be
  harmonized and simplified (all hurdles for
  collecting signatures, e.g asking for a
  passnumber) should be avoided.

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6. Frage

• Ist die Datensicherheit ausreichend?
• We have no problem concerning the treatment of
  personal data, because the security against
  misuse is very hight after the certification
  procedure.
• The problem is, that we have to destroy all data
  after the end of an ECI process.
• In an ongoing handling of the same topic, it
  would be very useful to have at least E-mail
  addresses of the persons, how have signed the ECI
  online. If this will be taken into account, also
  E-mail addresses are necessary and then the
  E-mail address could be used also as immediately
  answer, if a signature is accepted.

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7. Frage

• Anzeige während des Sammelprozesses über die
  Anzahl der Unterschriften?
• The possibility of tracking the number of
  signatures obtained throughout the collection
  period was implemented and it was very useful to
  see every day by everyone the numbers in each
  Member States.
• In our case we have asked the organizers in each
  Member State to give the number of signatures on
  paper forms per E-mail to the webmaster (Robin
  Ketelaar). The webmaster updated the statistic
  every day.

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8. Frage

• Erfahrungen mit der Zusammenarbeit mit den
  National Authorities?
• It should be made clear in the improved
  regulation 2015, that the task to come in contact
  with the national authority should be
  decentralized. Each organizer in a country has to
  get authorized (letter of attorney) by the
  organizer of the ECI, that she / he can act as
  Organizer with the National Authority,
  however from the security management point of
  view a centralized control should be secured
  (e.g. destroying the CDs and the paper forms).
  Only in cases, where Member States are not
  involved in a specific ECI, the general
  organizer should contact the national authority
  (if from those Member States also online
  signatures were received).
• The contact with national authorities were in the
  most cases in a friendly supporting atmosphere.
  In our case the national authorities were not
  obliged to make the validation, but some have don
  it or are in progress to do it.
• Very important for us was, that by postal
  service delay we received many paper forms after
  the end of our collection time (14th January
  2014). So we have now in sum about 300.000
  signatures (but not yet validated).

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9. und 10. Frage

• Welche Änderungen der EBI Regulierung werden
  vorgeschlagen?
• In our case we were very happy to get the offer
  from the EC for a hosing agreement and the
  possibility to use the host of the EC in
  Luxembourg free of costs. This offer should be
  given in future to all ECIs and should be
  mentioned as possibility in the improvement of
  the regulation 2015.
• The certification procedure was very time
  consuming, although we got very much support from
  the EC-team and the certification authority in
  Luxembourg. Therefore we would recommend the
  starting time of an ECI not be bound on the day
  of registration, bot on the day, on which all
  technical problems are solved, that online
  signatures are possible.

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Fortsetzung Änderungsvorschläge

• Annex III should be harmonized and the simplest
  rule
• should be used for all
• Member States.
• FULL FIRST NAMES, FAMILY NAME, PERMANENT
  RESIDENCE
• (street, number, code, city, country), DATE AND
  PLACE OF BIRTH,
• NATIONALITY, DATE AND SIGNATURE (E-mail
  Address???)

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Fortsetzung Änderungsvorschläge

• The possibility to sign an ECI should be possible
  for all persons leaving in EU, independent of
  there Address, from where the signature will be
  performed.

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Fortsetzung Änderungsvorschläge

• In many cases the organizers have not enough
  money background. Everything have to be paid
  private and this is in many cases a very big
  disadvantage.
• Therefore the improved regulation should give
  also financial support for all registered ECI.

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Fortsetzung Änderungsvorschläge

• One very important improvement would be, that the
  criteria for the registration of a proposed ECI
  should be changed, by deleting criteria (b)
• Article 4 (2)
• (b) the proposed citizens initiative does not
  manifestly fall
• outside the framework of the Commissions powers
  to submit
• a proposal for a legal act of the Union for the
  purpose of
• implementing the Treaties
• This Paragraph should be deleted or should
  include
• beside the
• ....for the purpose of implementing the
  Treaties
• ....for the purpose of amending the Treaties.

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Zukunftsperspektiven

• Das Ende der EBI ist der Anfang von UBIE
• Um die aktuelle Dynamik zu nutzen, gehen die
  Bemühungen der AktivistInnen weiter, das
  Bedingungslose Grundeinkommen EU-weit zum Thema
  zu machen.
• Das Ende der Europäischen Initiative soll
  gleichzeitig der Anfang einer neuen Organisation
  mit dem Namen Unconditional Basic Income Europe
  (UBIE) werden.

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• Unconditional Basic Income conference
• Emancipating European Welfare
• (Brussels, 10. April 2014)
• Unconditional Basic Income Europe (UBIE)
  Meeting
• (Brussels, 11. and 12. April 2014)

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Unconditional Basic Income Emancipating
European Welfare

• https//www.youtube.com/watch?vktJyk_kj74A
• Amana Ferro, European Anti Poverty Network
  Situation with income poverty and hidden poverty
  in Europe
• Unterschiede und Gemeinsamkeiten, but we all
  share the same goal dignified income for all,
  minimum income (focus of European Anti Poverty
  Network 29 national members national
  platforms, 18 European organisations such as
  Caritas, people in poverty as the true experts)
  and basic income poverty denial of human
  right, life free from wants and needs höhere
  Löhne, wenn höhere soziale Sicherung (adequate
  income for everyone income protection ensures
  consumption, relaunching economy).

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• Ronald Blaschke, Netzwerk Grundeinkommen
  Germany Unconditional Basic Income
  Consistently against (hidden) poverty and for
  real freedom for everyone
• Unconditional basic income effective against
  hidden poverty and for freedom for everyone plus
  health care insurance or free health care
• gets rid of stigmatisation, combats forced labor,
  gives everyone the freedom to choose what he/she
  wants to do, no economic dependency in work life,
  no economic dependency in family relations or
  partnerships

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• Elena Dalibot, European Alternatives, Citizens
  Manifesto for European Democracy, Solidarity and
  Equality Different Needs and Solutions.
• High unemployment rates, new situation of working
  poor, disengagement within and disappointment
  about EU of European citizens led to the idea
  that unconditional, universal, high basic income
  would maybe be a solution.
• In face of crises, we are standing at a
  crossroad. This is an opportunity to show, that
  Europe could be at the avantguarde of a new
  experience, a new experiment. We should go for
  it. There is an urgency to act. We should be
  pushing for it on the ground and pushing decision
  makers.

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• David Casassas, Member of BIEN, Universitat
  Autònoma de Barcelona Democracy and
  Unconditional Basic Income
• The unconditionality of basic income confers on
  individuals the relevant doses of bargaining
  power to say no, as a wider possible say, in
  order to say yes to other yeses, to other
  social relations we wish to have today but we
  cannot develope because we must accept what is on
  offer out there. In effect, by guaranteeing our
  existence, the basic income plays a crucial role
  when it comes to autonomously decide how we want
  to live in the workplace, in the household and
  within political institutions.

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• Gerald Häfner, MEP, Greens Development of ECI
  and EU-Referendum tools for more democracy in
  the EU
• All political groups in the parliament supported
  citizen-friendly ECI procedures. The commission
  and especially the council, the head of states
  it is strange, that the heads of states play the
  most important role in the legislature - is
  completely against the idea of European
  democracy. I think that in all questions
  concerning Europe it needs to be the parliament
  or the citizens who have the last say in a
  decision and not the governments, this is wrong.
• But the problem is, with the ECI, according to
  the Lissabon treaty, we can only invite the
  commission to take action. We cannot urge the
  commission. We cannot bind the commission. In my
  view, the ECI is only the first step in the
  direction of direct democracy.

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• What Häfner is organizing now is democracy
  international, a campaign for a new European
  convention. You need a convention to change the
  Lissabon treaty. Convention changes for more
  democracy but also for more solidarity, for many
  purposes. And we call for a European referendum
  at the end of this European convention process.
  It is not their Europe. We are Europe, it is a
  Europe of the Citizens.

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Werner Rätz, Attac Germany, Working Group Enough
for all and Working Group Beyond the Growth
Degrowth, Health and Unconditional Basic Income

• The debate on an unconditional basic income is
  closely linked with the question of welfare in
  general. If you reflect upon this, a basic income
  obviously concerns peoples health, too.
• But within the basic income movement there has
  been hardly a debate about this special idea.
• Even less attention has been paid to the
  connection between basic income and degrowth.

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• A deliberately organised economic degrowth is
  required to prevent the social, economical
  disadvantages from losing the battle over the
  distribution of scarce ressources.
• In this sense the unconditional basic income
  represents the basis to have the necessary debate
  in a fearless manner.
• There is good proove that equality of income is
  much more important and has higher effect on
  peoples health than the quality of medical
  systems or individual health conscious behaviour.

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Philippe Van Parijs, Chair of Advisory Board of
BIEN Euro- Dividend An example for an partial
basic income in Europe

• In order to move forward, we need two things at
  least One is a vision, and the other one are
  opportunities.

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Guy Standing, Honorary Co-President of BIEN What
can we learn from Namibian and Indian experiments
with unconditional cash transfers?

• I think we need to make sure all the time that we
  situate the debate, as we have been trying to do
  in the past 28 years, as
• a question of emancipation,
• a question of social justice and
• a question of building a new distribution system
• for the global economy.

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• Stanislas Jourdan, French Movement for UBI How
  the ECI woke up the European movement
• Valerija Korosec, UBI Slovenia Running in the EU
  elections for UBI
• Vahur Luhtsalu, UBI Estonia Learning-by-doing
  How we jumped on the ECI-UBI train (and what are
  the lessons learned)
• Plamen Dimitrov, president of CITUB, Bulgarian
  Trade Union Why Bulgarian trade unions are
  supporting UBI
• Tomas Haimann, UBI Czech Republic Perspectives
  from Eastern Countries
• Anna-Béa Duparc, BIEN Switzerland Lessons from
  the Swiss Federal Initiative for UBI and
  perspectives with the nationwide referendum
• Lena Stark, UBI Sweden UBI in the context of
  advanced welfare countries
• Klaus Sambor, Runder Tisch Grundeinkommen
  Austria The movement for UBI as part of wider
  social movements in Europe
• Mihaela Meresi, Romanian Open Society Abroad
  (DP-ROSA) UBI as fundamental principle of
  political, economic and social redesign in
  Europe building the Ethocratic Union
• Samuel Pulido, UBI Spain, presentation on the
  Spanish Popular Initiative for UBI

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Unconditional Basic Income Europe (UBIE)
Meeting(Brussels, 11. and 12. April 2014)

• 1) UBIE Charter
• 2) UBIE Constitution
• 3) UBIE Logo
• 4) BIEN affiliation
• 5) Creation of a new Core Team
• 6) Aims and Activities for the coming year
• 7) Next UBIE meetings
• 8) Conclusion

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UBIE Charter

• We are an alliance promoting unconditional basic
  income
• Art. 1 (Definition)
• Unconditional Basic Income (UBI) is an amount of
  money, paid on a regular basis to each individual
  unconditionally and universally, high enough to
  ensure a material existence and participation in
  society. UBI is a step towards an emancipatory
  welfare system.

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• Art. 2 (Mission)
• Our goals are
• - the introduction of unconditional basic income
  in Europe,
• - its recognition as a Universal Human Right to
  live in dignity.

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• Art. 3 (Diversity)
• We respect the diversity of views and opinions on
  Unconditional Basic Income. Different
  justifications and methods of implementation
  shall not prevent us from cooperating.

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• Art. 4 (exclusion from membership)
• Racism in the sense of all forms of
  discrimination against people based on
  assumptions about group-specific characteristics
  is incompatible with membership and participation
  in the UBIE alliance.

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Aims and Activities for the coming year

• UBIE Website
• Europäische BGE-Kampagne vor den
  Europa-Parlaments-Wahlen im Mai
• EU-Pojekt Europe for Citizens programm
• 7. Internationale Woche des Grundeinkommens
• Photomontage / Videos / Filme
• UBI und unterschiedliche Aspekte (z.B. UBI und
  Gesundheit)
• UBIE-Pamphlet
• Crowd Funding
• Teilnahme am BIEN Kongress in Montreal

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• Next UBIE meetings
• Das 2. UBIE Meeting wird vom 27. - 28. Sept. 2014
  in Athen stattfinden.
• Das 3. UBIE Meeting wird im März 2015 in
  Slovenien (Ljubiana) stattfinden.
• Conclusion
• Der Übergang von der Europäischen BürgerInnen
  Initiative zum BGE zu dem nun offiziell
  gegründeten Verein Unconditional Basic Income
  Europe (UBIE) ist ohne Verlust der in der EBI
  aufgebauten Dynamik ausgezeichnet gelungen. Alle
  TeilnehmerInnen waren sehr zufrieden.