At a time of unprecedented uncertainty regarding the place and role of the UK in relation to Europe and the European Union, this is certainly a discussion that needs to be started.  

Pierre-Antoine KLETHI from Sciences-Po Paris and Sciences-Po Strasbourg identified three key stages to this process: explaining, exchanging and sharing.

 

                   

Explaining

In modern society, we rely on education and the media to explain to help the public to understand what European citizenship actually means. This is fundamental, as people will not take ownership of something that they don’t understand. However, the media play this role with far greater enthusiasm in some European countries as compared with others. Indeed, in the UK the media tend to focus on what is wrong with Europe and not enough on the advantages of being ‘European citizens’, for example the Erasmus+ programme. When schools discuss citizenship with their students, the added-value of European citizenship is often overlooked.

                  

Exchanging

Education also provided a major opportunity for students to discuss and exchange their views with other students. Encouraging the learning of foreign languages is of key importance here as it is hard to really understand a culture without a knowledge of the language. The Erasmus+ programme facilitates exchanges between young people from different countries  and is a major factor in the development of an understanding of what European citizenship actually represents.

                               

Sharing

Jean Monnet said he wanted to create a "de facto solidarity" between the European peoples, in order to avoid a new war. Solidarity is a form of sharing and we see it today in humanitarian aid by countries within the European Union. Sharing reinforces common values, symbols and citizenship.

The common values are set out in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and include democracy, respect for human dignity, equality, the rule of law and human rights. These values are reaffirmed in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, which brings together both civil and political rights and economic and social rights. The European symbols include the European flag, the European anthem, Europe Day on the 9th May each year. The concept of citizenship has historically very much linked to nationality. It was the Maastricht Treaty that created European citizenship, which is not a substitute for national citizenship, but an addition to it!

               

This right to vote in European elections and to participate in the community's choices is one of the most important advances made in the context of European integration and must symbolise successful integration.

                     

It is widely believed that ‘travelling allows young people to grow’ and can encourage a sense of common European belonging, of European identity. These opportunities need to be made available to all young European citizens (In the context of the Erasmus+ Programme, ‘young people’ are individuals aged between 13 and 30 years old), especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. They can help young people to appreciate the value of diversity and the respect of other cultures is fundamental to the process of developing European citizenship. 

Have you travelled abroad and has this had a positive impact on you?

                                      

Remember to share your thoughts in the comment box below or tweet and share on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

                                                 

Christophe worked as a University Lecturer in the UK for many years before moving to Picardy, France to take charge of the International Mobility Programmes for the Picardy Regional Government. During this time, he designed and managed Commenius, Leonardo, Erasmus, Erasmus Mundus & Interreg projects in the 2 Seas Programme and the England-France Channel Programme. He was then appointed Director of Development and European Programmes in a Graduate Business School (Grande École) called Groupe Sup. de Co. and then France Business School in Amiens.

In late 2014, Christophe started working as Financial & European Projects Manager with European Placement Network in Bristol, where he submitted and managed four KA202 Strategic Partnerships in the UK in the VET & Adult Education sectors.

Christophe also does some work as a visiting lecturer in International Management in Universities in the UK and in several European countries in addition to work as a consultant in International Mobility & European Programmes. He has been involved in the evaluation of European projects since 2007 and is currently an Erasmus+ Expert with the French & Luxembourg Agencies. He also plays an active role in E.U. working groups for EU Tools such as Europass & ECVET.

                                                  

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