Go on then tell them what you think

In one of its periodic bursts of consultation, here is the EU trying to gauge public opinion.

If you have a fww minutes it might be worth you while popping along here to let them know how you feel. Given the multiple choice questions it is a good thing that there are plenty of boxes to write pithy and apposite responses. I stumbled when, having said I write as a private citizen, or in the parlance, "I am an interested citizen" it then demanded to know who I represented. Myself wasn't an option, so the organisation that is me hasd to admit to having less than 100 members. It is obvious that they do not really expect thatthe great unwashed take part, givnen that they have six buttons for everything from >100 to >than a million.

Here are some of the questions to give you a flavour,

In your view which of the following objectives are of most and least relevance/importance for the new programme?

• Developing a sense of European identity 

• Fostering a sense of belonging to the European Union

Or maybe you prefer,

How would the programme seek to achieve this through new and/or proven methods?

• Capacity building of structures (e.g. of civil society organisations, local administrations etc.) 
• Encouraging new models of cooperation/networking between different types of organisation (e.g. public policy actors with civil society organisations, economic actors, cultural organisations etc.) 
• Developing new EU-wide mobility schemes aimed at civil society organisations, project organisers, local administrations, etc.
• Further developing the structured dialogue between EU institutions and civil society organisations 

And finally they key question,

In your opinion, is the current budget of 215 million € (for the period 2007-2013) sufficient and appropriate?

It has a supplementary,

In case of an increase of the total budget of the programme, for which action(s) additional funding should be provided?

Go on, take part, you know you want to.