Annual Report

 

 

2024

 

 

Introduction
 

Confidence in Europe is currently at its highest level in 18 years: 62% of Europeans are optimistic about the future of the EU. However, almost 8 out of 10 Europeans are concerned about their security, and so 81% support a common defence and security policy. In light of the trade war with Trump, confidence in the euro is growing and it has reached its highest level ever.

 

So Europe seems to be doing well, but appearances can be deceiving. More than ever, people realise that Europe is the answer to protecting their security, their prosperity and their values. More than ever, this calls for a stronger Europe. But that European answer will not come automatically. It will have to be fought for – in every Member State where

advancing extreme nationalism is creating a blockade and hindering European cooperation. The European Movement in Belgium and elsewhere must take the lead in this.

 

Wouter Beke 

Member of the European Parliament

Acting Chair, European Movement in Belgium

 

 

Foreword

 

2024 is described as a super year for democracy – “super” (superlative) because there were elections at every level, from local to European, and so a lot of effort was made to convince us to support a particular vision. And it was discussed – an essential part of democracy.  And even if the right words are not always used or found to explain complexity, articulating these themes is engagement.  Another essential part of a democratic society. Plato emphasised the need for engagement in the following way: ‘The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by bad men.’ There were also elections outside Europe, some with more predictable outcomes than others, but all with major consequences for Europe. 

We, as the European Movement in Belgium, saw it as one of our tasks to prepare young people for the European elections, a project we carried out with our expertise and great enthusiasm (thank you to the participating schools and our speakers). If we had had more resources, we would have rolled this out across the whole country.  We may be dreaming, but there will be elections again in five years' time.

 

With this annual report, we want to give you an overview of our work, the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of our organisation. What you need to know is that we work on valuable themes, do not discriminate against anyone we target, and unfortunately, like so many organisations, have a chronic shortage of all possible resources (volunteers, time, money, you name it).  And that is where you, the reader of this annual report, member or supporter of our movement, come into the picture: you can contribute to our valuable cause. Cherish your enthusiasm and think about how you can help us. Our contact details can be found further on in this report.
 

Ruben Lombaert

Secretary-General, European Movement in Belgium

 
 

Turning point

The year 2024 was a special year for the European Movement in Belgium (EMB) and can be considered a turning point. The focus on the European elections in June 2024 was not unrelated to this, but the succession of Hilde Vautmans as chair also forced us to reflect on our operations. Nevertheless, we managed to organise a number of dynamic and interesting activities once again. Through these activities, we want to continue our efforts to promote European integration, promote European values and involve citizens more closely in the European project.

Gino Dehullu

Vice-President, European Movement in Belgium

 

 

 

 

ACTIVITY OVERVIEW 2024

 

 

A great deal of ‘European affairs’ take place in Brussels. Much of the ‘physical visibility’ of the European institutions is also located in our capital city, with the result that a large part of our activities also take place in Brussels. It remains our ambition to organise activities outside the European ‘bubble,’ and members of the European Movement are actively involved in the activities of like-minded organisations.  We also indicate where and who is organising interesting activities via our social media.

 

1. Visit to the European Parliament (6 March 2024)

Members of the European Movement had the opportunity to visit the European Parliament. MEP and then-chair Hilde Vautmans organised this together with her team. During this visit, participants gained a unique insight into the workings of the Parliament and were provided with information about the decision-making processes within the EU. In addition, participants were also given the opportunity to take home interesting brochures that explain the various policy areas of the European Parliament in accessible language. After all, not everyone speaks the European version of so-called “legalese”..

 

2. Walk during the EU Open Days (4 May 2024)

Every year, around Europe Day (9 May, commemorating the Schuman Declaration that laid the foundations for the first forms of European integration), the European institutions open their doors to the general public.  This allows them to gain an insight into policy areas and European politics, both in front of and, above all, behind the scenes, and to see the inside of places that are normally only seen on television news programmes. 

We did things a little differently, because all of “Brussels Europe” is located in a historic district (the Leopold district). So, as part of these open days, we showed “European Brussels” by organising a guided walk through the European district and past European institutions on 4 May. This activity gave participants the opportunity to learn more about the European institutions and the impact they have on the daily lives of citizens. But above all, it gave them the opportunity to learn about the impact that European Brussels has on that small part of the capital near Maalbeek.
 

 

3. Europe Day / Election Day at Sint-Jan Berchmans College (21 May 2024)

For the 2024 European elections, the rules on who could vote changed – the European Parliament opened the door to voting rights from the age of 16, and for that reason, the European Movement organised an “election day” around the European elections.
Europe, and especially the role of the European Parliament, is quite technical (lots of details, rules and exceptions, and also many ways in which decisions are made).  That is why a clear explanation of the parliament was given, followed by a debate and questions to a selection of politicians – all of whom were very aware that they had to explain their commitment and their vision of society to people who had never voted before. The more than 100 first-time voters from Sint-Jan Berchmanscollege attended presentations on Belgium, Europe and the European elections. Special thanks to Gilles Pittoors for the presentation on Europe.
 

4.  Lecture: ‘The new European Commission’ with Ambassador Willem van de Voorde (11 December 2024)

It seems like a long time ago, but in the first half of 2024, Belgium also held the presidency of the European Council – and thus de facto led the day-to-day affairs of the entire Union. By the autumn, most of the hustle and bustle had died down, and we left for Budapest (in the second half of 2024, it was Hungary's turn – meanwhile, their successor, Poland, is also ending its presidency and the gavel is passing to Denmark). But what had actually happened? To answer this question, the EMB organised a lecture entitled “The new European Commission” on 11 December. Ambassador Willem van de Voorde, one of the two top diplomats who steered the presidency in the right direction, offered us insights into the priorities and challenges of the new Commission and stimulated a constructive dialogue about the future of the EU. He was able to draw on his decades of experience. The lecture took place at the JEF premises. The evening ended with snacks and drinks.

 

5. European Project within Interreg North Sea Region: “Speak Up” (2024-2027)

The EMB signed a Letter of Support for this project, which aims, among other things, to increase trust between politicians and citizens by involving citizens more closely in policy-making. This was followed up in 2024 and we are currently looking into how the EBiB can raise its profile and possibly offer support at events organised in Belgium. The cities of Mechelen and Roeselare are partners in the project. It could also provide opportunities to engage in dialogue with the departments of the European Movement International in the partner countries of Speak Up.

 

 

 

Internal functioning of the European Movement in Belgium

 

Renewals within the Board of Directors (11 March 2024)

Several new members were welcomed during the Board of Directors meeting on 11 March. This renewal strengthens the organisation and should bring fresh ideas for the future. All members of the Board of Directors remain committed to promoting a better understanding of Europe and its institutions, and in particular European values and closer citizen involvement in the functioning of Europe and its institutions. Changes to the Board of Directors are published in the Belgian Official Gazette.

 

Resignation of Chair Hilde Vautmans, MEP

Shortly after the European elections, our Chair announced that she did not wish to renew her mandate as Chair of the European Movement in Belgium for personal reasons.  We took note of this and wish Hilde every success in continuing her mandate as MEP in the 2024-2029 legislative period. We thank her for her work with the European Movement and her many efforts to clarify the work of the institutions and bring it closer to citizens.

 

Finding the right chairperson for the European Movement is no easy task, and it is traditional for candidate chairpersons to be approached after a discreet search process. The chairperson must agree with the general objectives of the Movement, be willing and able to support the Movement in its actions wherever possible, and represent it.  He or she must also have the necessary contacts and be familiar with European policy-making. After a discreet search, the board has therefore decided to make a proposal to one candidate, who responded positively to our request.

 

Proposal for a new chairperson

At the General Assembly of 2025, the governing body will therefore propose Wouter Beke, MEP for CD&V, as a candidate. The European movement hopes that he will join the long list of presidents and former presidents who, through their work in the European Parliament, can play a significant role not only for us, but for the whole of Europe. 

 

Communication and Reach

In 2024, the EBB further expanded its communication channels, with regular updates and interactive content on our social media platforms and newsletters. These efforts have contributed to greater reach and increased engagement among our members and the general public. The intention is to continue these efforts and to devote considerable attention to them in 2025 as well.

 

Financial overview - 2024

The European Movement is a voluntary organisation without structural financial subsidies. This means that all income comes from three main sources: membership fees, honorary memberships and donations, and project subsidies.

For these reasons, it is a delicate exercise every year to break even and acquire sufficient projects and/or income to enable the organisation to continue operating the following year. On the expenditure side of the organisation, there are a number of structural costs, including the rent for our office, which we share with JEF, one of the most important.  In addition, there are normal operating costs, such as banking, communication (email, domain name and website), legal costs (publications, correspondence) and costs related to (the organisation of) activities. Finally, the non-profit organisation still has a historical debt of approximately 6,000 euros, which we are reducing by 1,500 euros annually. 

 

The EBiB continues to closely monitor sound financial management to ensure that loans taken out and project costs can be paid. Timely payment of membership fees is an important factor in this regard. In 2024, consideration was also given to how the EBiB could acquire additional funds. To this end, a search was launched for potential sources of funding, both European and Belgian. The contribution from the International European Movement was very welcome and provided an extra boost for the project at Sint-Jan-Berchmanscollege 2024.

 

 

Public services

In recent years, starting with the restart after the COVID lockdowns, the Movement has already built up considerable expertise in providing public information and has since developed a number of projects that it can carry out, either in collaboration with partners or alone, for a fee to be determined on a performance basis. These services will be published on our website in the second half of 2025.
 

They include lectures on the following topics:

- European history (specific events or general)
- The functioning of the European institutions

- European information sources - Where can you find information and how can you analyse the European aspects and links of a dossier? How can you find possible European co-financing?

- Negotiating - how, what and why? How could you say “yes” without neglecting your own values and interests?

- An educational game about European values and standards

- (since 2025): Fake News: how to recognise it, why it is done, and how to make yourself more resilient?

 

 

International Cooperation

The European Movement in Belgium has its headquarters in the European Movement International (EMI), which is also located in Brussels, symbolically on the Place du Luxembourg. We are one of more than 40 national chapters of the International European Movement, and we work together with the EMI and other national EBs in thematic working groups, conferences, meetings, pan-European information campaigns, and sometimes other activities. 

This cooperation keeps us alert and aware of what is happening in other parts of Europe. The perspective on the war in Ukraine is very different in countries such as Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia than it is in Belgium. Immigration is viewed differently in Italy, Spain and Greece than it is in Denmark or the Netherlands. And climate issues are experienced differently depending on the geographical situation.  Knowing this and learning to understand the differences is one of the great added values of this collaboration.  If you are interested in this, please contact us – we can never have enough people for this.
 

 

And now? / If not now, when?*

With these famous words, we, as the European Movement, must never miss an opportunity to emphasise our core values of democracy, pluralism and international cooperation, and to remind everyone of their importance.

Our society is undergoing changes, some of which we also saw a century ago, only now they are better organised, and the technological possibilities for spreading or suppressing certain ideas are on an unprecedented scale. 

We must be honest with ourselves, because Europe has seen a lot, experienced a lot, and so we should be “wiser” about certain things. Unfortunately, we are not always.

And yet... in addition to the above, we also owe the following to ourselves, and especially to future generations: the optimism first formulated by Immanuel Kant as a moral duty.  That, combined with the unyielding determination of a few great political minds such as Churchill, De Gaulle, Schumann, and closer to home, J-L Dehaene. And above all: with the active or passive support of our members and sympathisers. Then everything will be fine. Now, that is.

 

 

* Saying by the philosopher Hillel the Elder, also the title of a 1986 book by Italian writer Primo Levi

 

Future prospects - 2025 - 2026

Looking back on a successful year, the European movement remains committed to promoting European integration, cooperation between European populations, and thus strengthening the bond between the EU and its citizens. We look forward to new initiatives and collaborations in the coming year to continue our mission. We will focus on the following four priorities.

 

Structure

We are delighted that Wouter Beke, Flemish MEP for CD&V, has agreed to take on the role of chair for the coming years. This is a great honour and a huge boost for the organisation.

Finances

We will continue to keep a close eye on the budget in 2025. One positive development is that European Movement International will once again be providing financial support for our projects. In addition, we are also looking for cities and municipalities that are willing to support us both financially and logistically, or with which we can collaborate on content. Another important development is the renewed contact with Europe Direct West Flanders to organise initiatives in the future.

 

 

Activities

We continue to organise activities for our members to raise awareness of European values and the functioning of European institutions, and to promote the European idea and integration. An important period for us is, of course, Europe Day, when another activity for secondary education is planned in Sint-Jan-Berchmans. A panel discussion is also being organised with the municipality of Oudergem to mark Europe Day.

A visit to the European Parliament and the European institutions is also on the programme. We are also looking forward to welcoming some high-profile guest speakers again this year or bringing together some interesting people for a debate.

 

 

Communication

Communication remains extremely important in order to keep our members informed and to increase our brand awareness. This remains a task for the entire Board of Directors.

In addition, we hope to increase the European Movement's presence in Belgium at events, conferences and activities of all kinds that are relevant to our objectives. This can only increase our brand awareness. This is also a task for the Board of Directors. Our members can also act as ambassadors and talk about the European Movement in Belgium within their own networks and at networking events.

 

 

Epilogue

Last but in no way least…

We would like to conclude by thanking all our members, partners and volunteers for their continued support and commitment. Together, we are building a stronger and more united Europe, which in these difficult, uncertain and complex times can use all the support it can get from the grassroots.

Over the past two years, we have carried out our projects under the name “YOU're Europe”, and we mean it: it is your Europe, but you are also Europe.

You, us, all of us together. 

There is work to be done!

 

Composition of the Board of Directors 2025:

Wouter Beke, Chair

Gino Dehullu, Vice-Chair

Ruben Lombaert, Secretary-General

Philippe Adriaenssens

Pierre Dehalu

Jean-Louis Hanff

Isabelle Kletzlen

Lisseth Dubraska Pérez Peñalver

Renato Sallustio

Matthieu Vuylsteke

 

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