The EFC's 2010 AGA and Conference got going with a debate on the results of an EFC/Gallup poll on MEPs’ attitudes about and knowledge of foundations held at the Opening Plenary of the conference, entitled “A Conversation with the Institutions”.
At the plenary, Emílio Rui Vilar of Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Chair of the EFC and Luc Tayart de Borms of the King Baudouin Foundation set the scene by describing the importance of the relationship between foundations and the European Institutions.
Jacki Davis of the European Policy Centre moderated a presentation and debate on the results of the MEP poll, which was conducted in the spring of 2010. Caroline Bergaud, Gallup Europe, presented the results, which surveyed Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to find out what they know about foundations, how they view the sector, and what actual experience they have had with foundations. The debate panelists included; Nadja Hirsch, Member of the European Parliament (MEP); Manuel Medina Ortega, Former MEP; and Gerry Salole, Chief Executive of the EFC.
Key findings of the survey include:
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A broad consensus among participating MEPs that European foundations should play a role in the EU 2020 Agenda with 70% agreeing that it should be the case.
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About two-thirds of MEPs who participated (68%) claimed to have a good overall knowledge of foundations.
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Over a third of participating MEPs (36%) said that they had worked for a foundation as a staff member, board member or volunteer.
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Across all main political groups, the public good was the concept that respondents associated most closely with foundations (63%-70%).
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About three-quarters of participating MEPs (73%) declared that they would support a proposal for a European Foundation Statute.
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Over 8 in 10 (83%) MEPs who participated declared that they would be interested in meeting foundations active in their field(s) of expertise/competence.
The European Foundations Survey was an online survey conducted in February-March 2010, and was designed to gain a better idea of MEPs’ perception and knowledge of foundations, and to collect MEPs’ views on potential EU legislative action in the field, notably on potential regulation concerning a European Foundation Statute.
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View summary of results