Ever since the European Union became more than an intergovernmental body where representatives from national governments used to gather to make decisions behind closed doors, proposals for participatory tools have been put forward, practical mechanisms have been introduced and existing ones revised to make active EU citizenship and participatory democracy at the transnational level more than a nice idea: it has to become everyday practice.
So, when becoming active as an EU citizen and going transnational with your own idea/concern/proposal, please assess carefully the available participatory instruments in the toolbox first. Below you will find the most important ones to date.
If you are not happy with an EU-related measure you can lodge a formal complaint with the European Ombudsman, who offers an online form in the 24 official treaty languages. It is important to note that this channel is open not only to EU citizens but to all residents across the European Union including businesses, associations and other bodies registered within the EU.
If, as an EU citizen or business, you face obstacles in another country because a public authority is not doing what is required under EU law, then you can turn to the SOLVIT problem-solving mechanism provided by the European Commission. This online service in 25 languages (EU languages and Norwegian) also handles problems with a cross-border element that have occurred due to the improper application of EU law by public authorities within the EU Member States.
If you are looking for a job or education opportunities across Europe, there is a service in all EU official languages + Norwegian and Icelandic called EURES, the European Employment Services Network, which offers tools both for jobseekers and employers (and in autumn 2023 featured no fewer than 3.9 million vacancies and 1 million CVs).
