Making Your Voice Heard in the European Parliament: Equality CSOs and Their Parliamentary Interlocutors

The EU faces a continuing legitimacy crisis that puts supranational institutions such as the European Commission and the European Parliament under pressure to become more transparent and open. One recurring idea in this context is strengthening deliberative and participatory democracy through Improving civil society participation in EU policy-making. This paper asks, who in the European Parliament fosters dialogue with civil society organizations (CSOs) working on LBTGI issues and gender equality. Committees like the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and the Committee on Women Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) can offer different venues to CSOs, and these have to choose the right recipient for making their voices heard. Starting from the perspective of "equality CSOs", which I define as those explicitly organized around Article 19, Lisbon Treaty, I investigate EP interlocutors for equality CSOs and how the venues shape access to policy-making. I used Qualitative Network Analysis (QNA) embedded in expert interviews to explore links between equality CSOs and EP committees. I ask whether CSOs working on equality for LGBTQ people and women face specific challenges compared to CSOs organized other grounds of discrimination? At what level seek and gain CSOs access: single MEPs, political groups, committees, parliamentary intergroups? Which formal and informal EP groups are targeted to promote equality issues?