robert schuman centre for advanced studies - European University ...

Trechsel, the RSCAS consolidates scientific knowledge
and policy relevant know-how on EU democracy. Furthermore,
EUDO actively engages in research, experimentation,
and dissemination activities on issues relating
to EU democracy.
Key faculty:
RSCAS: Luciano Bardi, Stefano Bartolini, Adrienne Héritier,
Bruno de Witte
EUI Departments: Rainer Bauböck (SPS), Alexander H.
Trechsel (SPS)
tHE EuropEAn unIon dEMocrAcy oBSErVAtory
(Eudo)
EUDO consists of four Observatories responsible for data
and documentation gathering, directed by EUI professors
in conjunction with external experts. The Observatory on
Public Opinion, Political Elites and the Media focuses on
the attitudes and preferences of electorates, the media and
political classes, measuring the way in which these converge
or diverge. The Observatory on Political Parties and
Representation is devoted to the study of European parties
as representative channels, agenda setters and gatekeepers
on the uncertain road towards a fully-fledged and effective
Euro-party system. The Observatory on Institutional
Change and Reforms is devoted to reforms and adaptations
in the current institutional EU set-up, particularly
those reforms and adaptations that are most likely to foster
popular acceptance and legitimacy for the Union. The
Observatory on Citizenship, finally, is devoted to the study
and development of citizenship in the European Union
and its member states and the impact of citizenship on
democratic inclusion and participation. In 2011 and 2012
the EUDO Observatories have been involved in a series of
projects to provide applied research reports for European
and national institutions.
In addition to the four Observatories, the EUDO platform
3 roBErt ScHuMAn cEntrE For AdVAncEd StudIES
2011 Eudo
dissemination
conference
on Inclusive
democracy in
Europe, Brussels
has three further components: the EUDO Communication
and Dissemination Strategy, the EUDO Training and
Debate and the EUDO Publication and Data Centre.
The EUDO Communication and Dissemination Strategy
has been developed to assure that the work produced
within EUDO is disseminated to relevant stakeholders.
This strategy consists of a website which is continually
updated; a newsletter which is published three times a
year; an annual dissemination conference which brings
academics, politicians, citizens groups, and the media together
to debate the most pressing issues regarding EU democracy
as well as providing an opportunity for EUDO to
present the latest research results; an annual report which
is circulated widely; and a Facebook and Twitter account.
The EUDO Training and Debate Forum allows EUDO to
interact with students and the wider public. It adopts a
proactive approach to the dissemination of findings so as
to stimulate interdisciplinary dialogue while reaching out
to policy makers and politicians as well as to civil society
organisations. The EUDO Training and Debate Forum
consists of a range of workshops and seminars on specific
issues related to EU democracy and an online web café
where internal and external experts contribute to a lively
debate on a range of issues of interest to EUDO:
http://debate.eudo.eu.
The EUDO Publication and Data Centre groups together
the hard data on European Democracy produced by
EUDO. It includes the EUDO Data Centre, a web-based
repository for the distribution and dissemination of quantitative
and qualitative data and research results produced
or acquired by EUDO projects; the EUDO Working Paper
Series, which is a core element of EUDO’s efforts in
disseminating high-quality research; a EUDO Report Series,
which publishes and brands reports by EUDO under
the same banner; and EUDO Spotlight, which focuses
on public attitudes towards the most recent issues on the