On 10th and 11th October, five representatives from Diakonie ČCE our members in the Czech Republic, came to Brussels for a two day intensive study visit. The group were given a presentation on Eurodiaconia and the network, European Funding Programmes, and the chance to meet with Secretary General of Act Alliance, Mr Floris Faber. The focus of the visit was to get an insight into state aid and EU funding, and as such the group were then able to visit the European Commission Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, and Directorate-General for Competition. On the second day of their visit, the delegation from Diakonie CCE visited the Emergency Response Coordination Centre in Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid & Civil Protection, and also heard about the EU Aid Volunteers initiative.
During their visit of the European Parliament, the delegation met with MEP Dita Charanzova where they discussed the IMCO Committee (Internal Market and Consumer Protection) of which she is a member, and they were able to present their organisation to MEP Charanzova. The study visit ended with a visit to the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU in Brussels.
The study visit came as a opportunity for our member to visit Brussels and see the European Institutions and our Eurodiaconia office in action, as well as a chance to gain skills and knowledge on EU affairs.