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Engagement in Europe review 2022

  • Area of Work: The ALLIANCE
  • Type: News Item
  • Published: 9th January 2023

In 2022 we remained committed to building and maintaining strong third sector relationships and communications with colleagues in Europe.

Domestic Advisory Group (DAG) on EU-UK relationship

Director Irene Oldfather has been elected as Vice-Chair of the UK Domestic Advisory Group (DAG), tasked with promoting a strong voice in a post Brexit world.

For the next two and a half years, Irene will serve alongside Paul Nowak, Deputy Secretary General of the TUC; and Chair, Sean Maguire, Europe Director of the CBI, to ensure that citizens are meaningfully represented by the DAG as we move forward with developing the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) to define the future UK-EU relationship. With the TCA due for general review by the end of 2025, the DAG will be an important forum to hear from people, businesses, the third sector and communities about the impact of the separation, and whether there are things that we can do to improve the relationship. Read Irene’s article on the SCVO website discussing civil society’s role in these post-Brexit discussions.

On behalf of the EU-UK Follow-up Committee, a working body of the European Economic and Social Committee which is the voice of organised civil society in the EU, the ALLIANCE supported the Committee’s fact-finding mission to the UK in October 2022 which met with leaders of civil society organisations to discuss the implementation of the TCA. Working with Scottish Government colleagues, we hosted partners including the Scottish Women’s Convention, The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and the National Farmers Union (NFU), who were able to share their priorities for Scotland with the Committee as we move forward in our relationship with Europe, and raise suggestions for improved partnership working in future.

EUPATI

Following our launch of the The European Patients’ Academy on Therapeutic Innovation (EUPATI) Scotland programme website (this link will take you away from our website), we engage regularly with our colleagues across other National Platforms in Europe. We were pleased to promote the EUPATI Open Classroom e-learning platform (this link will take you away from our website) which provides courses in medicines research and development for patients, patient representatives and other stakeholders. We have also engaged with the EUPATI networks to look at the EUPATI starter kit and National Platform Strategy 2020-2025.

Following Brexit, we have not only ensured that we remain connected to European policy and practice, but also that the ALLIANCE has an active role in developing relations between the UK third sector and the EU moving forward.

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