Centre for European Citizens' Democracy

EU Legislative Interests

The Centre for European Citizens’ Democracy (CECD) was established in September 2025 following a report on Citizens’ participation in the EU decision-making needs assessment from the AFCO Committee of the European Parliament and with encouragement from the European Commission . It grew out of the European People’s Forum (EPF) and its network of more than 90 partner organisations spanning research institutions, civil society networks, and professional facilitators of deliberative processes. The EPF was founded in 2017 by Niels Thogersen (former Director, DG COMM, European Commission) and Bent Noerby Bonde (former Director, Baltic Media Centre Foundation). It happened in a direct response to the EU’s democratic challenges following the Brexit referendum, rising nationalist movements, and citizens’ growing sense of marginalisation. For over a decade, Eurobarometer surveys have shown that around 40% of EU citizens feel unheard and distrustful of democratic institutions. To address this, the EPF worked to strengthen participatory democracy and give citizens a stronger sense of ownership in the European project. Its members played a key role in the EU’s Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE), which successfully embedded deliberative citizens’ panels at the heart of EU policymaking. European Commission evaluations confirmed that legislative outcomes shaped through this process better reflected citizens’ needs and knowledge. Building on this success, the Centre for European Citizens’ Democracy now serves as the permanent platform for advancing participatory democracy across Europe. CECD’s VISION AND CORE PILLARS CECD’s vision is to build a critical democratic infrastructure where citizens, parliaments, and public service media supported by specialised civil society co-create policies and sustain democratic trust. Its mission rests on four interdependent pillars: 1. Empowered Civil Society and Local Participation CECD fosters robust networks of trained facilitators and civil society actors capable of managing high-quality deliberative processes in every Member State, candidate and neighbour country. 2. Public Service Media (PSM) as a Democratic Backbone PSM must act as trusted intermediaries between citizens and parliaments. CECD works with public service media in its beneficiary countries and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to reinforce editorial independence, public accountability, and reach—core principles reaffirmed by the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA). 3. Secure and Human-Centred Digital Infrastructure In collaboration with EBU members and European digital experts, CECD will advance a new European online deliberation platform, protected from external interference, algorithm-free, and enabling collective intelligence while ensuring human equality and transparency in dialogue. 4. The European Parliament and national parliaments are the core institutions for our parliamentary democracies and will through the safe and active engagement of citizens in the political debates stimulate the ownership and participation of voters in the European and national elections. Each pillar supports the others: PSM disseminate and engage in deliberation outcomes, civil society anchors local trust, and digital infrastructure guarantees inclusive, transnational participation and encourages voting participation in national and European elections.

Communication Activities

CECD advised the AFCO-committee on how to formulate its Pilot Budgetline Proposal "Democracy Partnership for Candidate Countries" and "Citizens’ Mechanism for democratic reforms in candidate countries", (2024) supported by Left, Greens, Socialists and Democrats, and Renew. "Citizens’ Mechanism for Democratic Reforms in Candidate Countries" prepared for and distributed to DG ENEST, European Parliament Parliamentary Support and Capacity Building Unit and DG Comm. (105 p.) "Citizens’ Mechanism for Democratic Reforms and Shields in Candidate Countries" prepared for and presented to DG JUST, DG ENEST, European Parliament Parliamentary Support and Capacity Building Unit, DG Comm., the AFET and Special Committee on the European Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group.(110 p.) CECD - Democracy in the Digital Age: A European Model for Citizen Participation and Democratic Resilience prepared for and presented to DG CONNECT, DG JUST, DG COMM, DG ENEST (3p.) Broad communication with members of the European Parliament and with the DG JUST, DG CONNECT, DG ENEST and DG COMM.

Interests Represented

Does not represent commercial interests

Member Of

We have a relationship with the Europe's People's Forum (EPF). EPF with three of its member organisations were founders for the Centre for European Citizens' Democracy (CECD). and we may in CECD be entitled to call for individual experts from the member organisations of EPF - soon New European Citizens' Forum. There is no money or management structures between the two organisations. Project- and administrative management will be carried out in cooperation with the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), when there is no competion with EPD's member organisations.

Organisation Members

CECD does not have a membership as such, but have relevant non-profit organisations and institutions in its self-appointing board. Established by Europe's People's Forum and three of its member organisations. The four member organisations of the board are the 1. Odraz, Croatia, Director Lidija Pavić-Rogošić 2. Prossima Democrazia, Italy - Stefano Sotgiu died 16 December 2025 and a new representative has been requested.b 3. Youth4Media, Germany, Wolfgang Ressmann, Director 4. European Partnership for Democracy, deputy-director Leon Hemkemeyer 5. Sortition Europe, Co-head Bea Sándor

Additional Information

Founding meeting was 9 September 2025 and the website www.cecd.eu is still under construction hosted by GoDaddy.