On 13–14 May 2025, ALDA joined partners of the FOCUS project – Fundamentals of EU Charter use in society for its mid-term consortium meeting in Berlin, Germany, hosted at Refugio. The meeting marked a key moment to take stock of progress, deepen collaboration, and look ahead to the second phase of the project — one that will bring the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights closer to local communities across Europe.
A Charter that lives locally
The FOCUS project aims to promote the integration of the EU Charter at local and regional level, ensuring that the rights enshrined in the document become tangible in people’s everyday lives. The Charter, while often perceived as distant or complex, is in fact a tool to anchor democratic values in municipal policies, civil society initiatives, and public discourse.
ALDA plays a central role in bridging the Charter with local authorities and grassroots organisations, ensuring its principles are not just known, but implemented and owned by communities. Over the past year, ALDA has:
- Identified and built a Community of Interest (CoI) made of associations of local authorities and civil society actors from five countries (Malta, Bulgaria, Italy, Belgium, and Spain)
- Designed and delivered an International Training of Multipliers in Vicenza, equipping participants with the tools to promote and apply the Charter in their local contexts
- Provided tailored support for the organisation of follow-up local trainings, which are now being scheduled across partner territories. Stay tuned!
The goal is to strengthen the connection between EU values and local governance, and support municipalities in translating fundamental rights into concrete action.
The FOCUS project brings together a diverse consortium of European organisations, each contributing unique expertise to the shared goal of promoting the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights at local level.
The project is coordinated by Democracy Reporting International (DRI) and implemented in partnership with:
- ALDA
- European Youth Parliament (EYP)
- Awake Europe (AwE)
- Verfassungsblog (VfB)
Together, these organisations combine legal, civic, educational, and communication perspectives to ensure the Charter is understood, promoted, and embedded across European societies and arenas — from youth to media, from policymakers to local neighbourhoods.
Visit the FOCUS project website to stay up to date on news, events, publications and opportunities!
As underlined during the discussions, the implementation of the Charter at local level remains a complex task — but one that is essential to rebuild trust, ensure inclusion, and make the European Union meaningful to its citizens.
