Event Report “Borders and Rights: How can stateless nations contribute to the democratisation of Europe?”
As the European Union begins a new Parliament mandate, the need to ensure political participation for all is once again in the spotlight. Among the many challenges, the inclusion of stateless people is particularly urgent. Guaranteeing their social rights is essential for fostering democracy across the EU.
On November 5, 2024, the Coppieters Foundation, in collaboration with the Iratzar Foundation, organized a conference in Brussels, to explore political and legal mechanisms that could ensure the full participation of stateless people within the EU. The event was structured around two roundtable discussions.
The first roundtable examined existing political and legal frameworks, along with potential policy options, building on the theoretical groundwork laid at last year’s conference. Contributions came from Nikos Skoutaris, Associate Professor in EU Law at the University of East Anglia, and Jaume Lopez, a faculty member at the University of Pompeu Fabra’s Faculty of Political and Social Sciences.
The second roundtable focused on cross-border cooperation policies as transitional tools to enhance the visibility of stateless nations and promote a more inclusive and democratic Europe. This discussion adopted Irish and Basque perspectives, with insights from Daniel Holder, Director of the Belfast-based human rights NGO Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ), and Elena Casiarain, a member of the Consolidated Research Group – GAIT.
This report summarizes the ideas and theoretical concepts that were presented and discussed during these two roundtables.
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This paper is financially supported by the European Parliament. The European Parliament is not liable for its content or the opinions of the authors.
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