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EU Liaison

• European Regional Information for UK You probably need to know something about EU structure to get the best from this site.
• European Commission Representation in the UK 8 Storey's Gate, London, SW1P 3AT, phone 020 7973 1992.
• European Information Association for librarians and information officers specialising in European Union material.
• Europa is the EU information site. See Civil Society section on consulting with, and lobbying by, sector bodies.
• Scotland Europa - intelligence, policy analysis and strategic funding information about the European Union, for Scottish organisations.

• EU Civil Society Contact Group brings together eight large rights and value based NGO sectors: culture, environment, education, development, human rights, public health, social and women.
• Euclid Network "exists to develop, connect and support third sector leaders across Europe in order to make the sector more innovative and professional, at heart of European civil society". Also see Euclid under funding below, which is a separate body.
• European Council for Non-Profit Organisations (CEDAG). "Towards the recognition of non-profit organisations in the European Union." A network of regional and national umbrella bodies from across the EU member states.
• European Citizen Action Service aims to enable NGOs and individuals to make their voice heard with the EU.
• Cooperatives Europe.
• European Foundation Centre.
• European Volunteer Centre. "To unite, represent, promote and defend co-operatives in Europe".
• Volonteurope annual European volunteer conference organised by CSV (was a network?).
• Platform - The Platform of European Social NGOs, campaigns for a socially just Europe for all. Many of the following are members.
• Association of Voluntary Service Organisations Lobbies at European level on volunteering issues.
• Federation of International Associations established in Belgium. Includes trade and scientific bodies as well as others.
• European Society of Association Executives.
• VITA Europe "the hub of the European non-profit sector".

• Active Social Policies European Network members are social scientific researchers engaged in research projects related to the development of 'active' welfare states.

Areas of Concern

• AGE European Older People's Platform.
• Amateo European network for active participation in cultural activities.
• CEBSD Combined European Bureau for Social Development promotes social and community development.
• CECODHAS The European Liaison Committee for Social Housing - the 33 full members of CECODHAS are national and regional housing organisations.
• CEFEC Confederation of European Social Firms, represents organisations which share the aim of creating work for people with disabilities in social firms.
• Concord European confederation for (overseas) relief and development.
• Culture Action Europe (previously European Forum for the Arts and Heritage).
• ERYICA - European Youth Information and Counselling Agency.
• European Anti-Poverty Network An independent coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and groups involved in the fight against poverty and social exclusion in the Member States of the European Union.
• European Council on Refugees and Exiles.
• European Disability Forum Umbrella organisation with 70 European NGOs and 17 National Councils from all of the EU and EEA as members.
• European Environmental Bureau.
• European Network of Credit Unions.
• European Network of (ex-)Users and Survivors of Psychiatry.
• Euforic Europe's Forum for International Cooperation is mainly NGOs with some governmental bodies.
• European Public Health Alliance NGO network.
• European Women's Lobby The largest co-ordinating body of national and European non-governmental women's organisations in the EU, with over 2,700 member associations.
• FEANTSA European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless. 1 rue Defacqz, 1000 BRUSSELS, Belgium, email: info@feantsa.org.
• Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL)
• Solidar A human rights and trade union network.
• WAVE A network of European women's non-governmental organisations working in the field of combating violence against women and children.
• Youth Forum The voice of young people in Europe.

Funding related

• European Social Fund. Try this link or ESF's own site. Guidance on funding programmes, including 'best practice' on measuring outcomes etc.
• EUCLID for the UK cultural sector. (This is not the same as Euclid Network, for voluntary sector leaders, above.)
• EuropeanGrants.com Ltd (EGL) 'provides a wide range of European Union grant information products to organisations throughout the world'.
• European Foundation Centre.

Regional

Regional sources of information and advice on European funding.

• North West Network.
• EUgrants - Northern Ireland initiatives.

Further Resources

Dod's guide to the EU institutions, Eurosource, appears to replace the European Companion. Vacher Dod Publishing, 1 Douglas Street, London SW1 4PA, phone 020 7828 7256.

The weekly newspaper European Voice published by The Economist Group focuses on the work of the EU institutions.

EurActiv.com is an independent media portal dedicated to European Union affairs.

Irish Republic

The number of web sites covering voluntary sector issues has developed since we first put this section together. As there are close links with the UK, we will continue to list useful web pages as we find them.

Active Link "The online network for Irish non profit organisations".

Citizens Information Board provides support for organisations providing information on rights and entitlements, and did have a Resource Database for Voluntary and Community Sectors, but isn't working at Jan 2010. Also see Citizens Information site for sector news.

Community Workers Co-operative - Promoting and supporting community work as a means of intervention for radical social change.

GalwayCity.org.

Irish Charity Shops Association.

learningpoint.ie one-stop-shop about training and development for staff and volunteers working in community and voluntary organisations in Ireland is now itnegrated into The Wheel website.

National Database of Voluntary Sector Research Ireland.

Volunteering Ireland Promoting, supporting and facilitating voluntary action in the Republic of Ireland. Training course details and volunteer management advice are on the site. There is a connected network of volunteer managers, VOLT: Volunteer Organisers Linking Together.

Volunteer Centres Ireland

The Wheel aims to "assist the Community and Voluntary Sector to become for itself a powerful voice for change".

Whitebarn Consulting Sandra Velthuis did an excellent job when your editor knew her at London Cycling Campaign!

Youth.ie Portal from National Youth Council.