Bond groups and partner networks in Europe

Influencing a giant like the European Union is possible: coordinated pressure on relevant EU institutions in all member states and in Brussels is key to success.

Find out how you can influence Europe on the issues that matter to you through Bond network in the UK and in Europe.

In the UK

Two Bond groups have a specific focus on EU institutions:

Bond European Policy Group provides joint analysis of EU policy developments and coordinates advocacy initiatives targeting the EU
Bond EC Funding Group provides information sharing on technical EC funding issues and joint analysis and influencing of EC funding environment

Other Bond groups and UK networks target EU institutions on specific issues. Project groups can be set up on specific initiatives.

Some examples of active Bond working groups, project groups and UK networks are:

The Bond advocacy team offers support to Bond working groups and members to analyse how the EU affects the issues they are working on and to plan collective influencing of EU institutions.

In Europe

CONCORD - joint analysis and insider lobbying

Bond is the UK national platform to CONCORD, the European confederation of relief and development NGOs, consisting of 20 NGO national platforms and 22 international networks representing over 1600 NGOs. CONCORD represents the development community within the EU Civil Society Contact Group, which brings together eight large rights and value based NGO sectors: environment, social, development, human rights, lifelong learning, public health, culture and women.

Participation in CONCORD is strategic for Bond and its members in order to access information, share best practice across Europe and be able to speak with one strong voice in Brussels.

As a member of Bond you are also a member of CONCORD. The diagram below shows the correspondence between some of CONCORD working groups and Bond groups/UK networks.

Diagram of Bond-CONCORD working groups

Global Call to Action against Poverty

The Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) is the largest ever anti-poverty civil society campaigning alliance. Active in 100 countries under the white band symbol, GCAP calls for:

public accountability, just governance and the fulfilment of human rights
trade justice
increasing the quantity and quality of aid and financing for development
debt cancellation
gender equality and women's rights
a solution to climate change

In Europe, GCAP is active in 31 EU and non-EU countries, from Portugal to Russia. National coalitions coordinate at the European level under a regional strategic framework.

Bond campaigns with GCAP in Europe together with environment, social and human rights groups from across the region.

Subscribe to the GCAP Europe mailing list or contact the Bond Europe team to find out more.