1. Introduction
2. Methodology
3. Participation and Solidarity in Denmark, France, Portugal and Sweden
4. Participation and Solidarity
4.1 Definition of Participation 4.2 Definition of Solidarity 5. Mechanisms, opportunities and obstacles to participation at local, national and European level
5.1
E.
F. Trust in institutions
G. Communication
5.2
6. Training needs of civil society organisations, Local Authorities and Decision-Makers
7. Conclusions and recommendations
8. Annexes
This assessment focused on mechanisms and opportunities for participation and solidarity at local, national and European level within the Solidarity4All (Sol4All) project, CERV-2023-CITIZENS-CIV – Citizens’ engagement and participation, Priority 3.
The overall objective of Solidarity4All is to strengthen solidarity ecosystems by increasing the participation of under-represented communities at local, national and European level. This is directly in line with the call’s objective of promoting citizen and representative association’s participation and contribution in the democratic and civic life of the Union, with a specific focus on solidarity.
The specific objectives of the project include:
• Improving resources and opportunities for participation for individuals and civil society organisations.
• Mapping and improving mechanisms for participation and solidarity (at local, national and European level), identifying barriers and improving accessibility and alignment with the needs of under-represented communities.
• Increasing the capacity of national and local authorities to boost participation and ensure the inclusion and representation of under- represented communities in solidarity ecosystems in order to build sustainable and inclusive policy solutions.
• Raise awareness among decision-makers at local, national and EU level of the importance of participation for solidarity, belonging and social cohesion, to influence policy-making.
In the context of this project, underrepresented communities (UC) refer to groups of people who are inadequately represented or have limited visibility, influence or access to resources in each society or context. The term covers a diversity of groups facing distinct challenges in society. This report summarizes the perspectives of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs),
Local Authorities (LAs) and Decision Makers (DM) in Greece, Portugal and Sweden, providing an understanding of the participatory and solidarity mechanisms that exist in these three countries. Some data always also collected from studies in Denmark and France as well as interviews with decision makers at the European Union level. The main barriers for participation and solidarity identified are also listed, as well as the training needs of under-represented communities, CSOs and LAs, with a view to enhancing participation and solidarity at local, national and European levels.
Three main sources were used in this Assessment:
i. An online survey open to the entire population of the three countries engaged, with a total of 208 respondents (Greece: 70, Portugal: 69, Sweden: 69);
ii.Interviews and Focus Groups conducted with representatives of the target audiences (3 types), with a total of 189 participants, as shown in the table below;
Table 1: Number of participants in interviews and focus groups by country and type, 2025
The questionnaires, interview guides and focus groups (documents attached) for the various participating groups were based on the following dimensions of analysis:
• Experience and perceived level of community participation, with a special