Les Mardis de L'Europe | Madariaga - College of Europe Foundation

13:00 - Monday, 3 March 2008

Since 2002 and until march 2008, the European Foundation Madariaga has regularly invited experts and specialists to its debates "Mardis de l'Europe", a platform for all members of the brussels Eurosphere who wanted to understand the european issues. Each year relevant personalities have participated in this events, offering the possibility to a informed public to take advantage of the privileged relations with the Foundation.

List of Conferences 2008

04 March: "Men Get Involved against Violence Women"

Speakers: Nursuna Nemecan (ADLE), MP of Parliamentary Assembly pf the Council of Europe

Kent Ollson (EPP/ED), MP of Parliamentary Assemby of the Council of Europe

Alexander Alvaro (ADLE), European Parliament

Raül Romeva i Rueda (Greens), European Parliament

Special Guest : Axelle Red, Singer and goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF

Moderated by Vanessa Witkowski, Madariaga European Foundation

conference organised in partenership with the Council of Europe, Strasbourg

19 February: "The Role of European Foundations in the Next 20 Years"

Speakers: Gerry Salole, Chief Executive of the European Foundation Centre (EFC)

Wioletta Gradkowska, Policy Co-ordinator - Philanthropy and R&D funding, European Commission

Moderated by Vanessa Witkowski, Madariaga European Foundation

Gerry Salole, Chief Executive of the European Foundation Centre, opened the debate with a discussion of the challenges and opportunities for European foundations in the near future. After highlighting the impressive strengh, heritage, and independence of the foundation sector within Europe, Mr Salole focused on the need the the sector to:

a) overcome its hubris and seek further strengh from potential partnerships with government;

b) organise itself around some central issues and themes in order to maximise its effectiveness; and lastly

c) to find a way of doing the above without giving up the core independence that makes the foundation sector unique.

Furthermore, Mr Salole put forward for a European Statute on foundations, which would be enable further transnational cooperation between foundations and increase funding opportunities therein.

Wioletta Gradkowska, policy coordinator for philanthropy and R&D funding at the European Commission, addressed the growing importance of matched funding partnerships between foundations and governmental institutions as a source for develiping research across Europe. The audience stressed the need for this kind of cooperation to give maximum space and power to foundations, in order to maintain the inderpendence alluded to by Mr Salole. The discussion also touched upon the potential for the new Eastern European Foundations to facilitate EU enlargement and integration.

Finally, the question of the European Parliament's role in the creation of a European Statute was raised.

Event though the Commission already has a feasibility study under way on this question, Mr Salole suggested that it would also be preferable for the European Parliament to get involved in the early stage of the discussion.

Official report available on the EFC website