Samenvatting

This final project has been assigned by ProDemos Huis voor Democratie en Rechtsstaat (House for Democracy and Rule of Law). This final project is a graduation paper for the bachelor degree European Studies from The Hague University of Applied Sciences.
This benchmark research paper compares ProDemos with other organisations in The Netherlands that provide European Union (EU) educational activities. All the discussed organisations in this paper are divided in chapters. The first chapter explores all the EU activities of ProDemos, mainly the EU day programme, but also the Rule of Law and Politics day programme and the European simulation elections. The second chapter is devoted to different layers of government and different government aligned institutions that provide EU education (like the Representation of the European Commission in The Netherlands, the European Parliament Information Office and the Visitor Centre of the European Parliament Visitor Centre). One of the revealing items is that the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science does not oblige schools to include the European Union as a topic in class. Moreover, the Ministry dissolved a fund for educational EU activities. This proofs the relevance of the NGOs, like ProDemos, that carry out educational EU activities. Chapter 3 focuses on activities exercised by NGOs. The non-governmental organisations discussed in chapter 3: the Montesquieu Institute, Asser Institute, EuroDesk Netherlands, Europa Decentraal etc. In chapter four all the activities are compared in a matrix.
The last chapter is the recommendations and conclusion section. The central question of this benchmark research paper is: "How can ProDemos improve its approach with regards to the European level of Democracy and Rule of Law?" The answer to this central question takes the form of the different recommendations. The recommendations include suggestions that would improve ProDemos's approach 'with regards to the European level of Democracy and Rule of Law' cultivated on the basis of the benchmark research conducted for this paper. A selection of the most important findings and recommendations:
- Developing two competitive advantages. Firstly, to implement Le Congrès de La Haye in the EU day programme of ProDemos. In order to develop to second competitive advantage, ProDemos should persuade The House of Europe for the further development of the 'European Public Space', so ProDemos can bring its students along The House of Europe during the EU day programme. This would make the day programme more dynamic and attractive for students.
- Not to exercise EU themed activities for civil servants.
- To search collaboration with other organisations in order to expand the EU activities ProDemos exercises, for example with NECE allied organisations in order to organise Europese Scholieren Verkiezingen through the entire EU.