Overview
Since 20 September 2021 self-declared 'non-commercial organisations' are no longer required to provide a lobby budget. See above timeline for this registrant's historical lobby budget.
Lobbying Costs
None declared
Financial year: Jan 2021 - Dec 2021
Lobbyists (Full time equivalent)
7.75 Fte (9)
Lobbyists with EP accreditation
2
High-level Commission meetings
6
Lobbying Costs over the years
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Info
European Students' Union (ESU)
EU Transparency Register
947001511571-77 First registered on 12 Jul 2013
Goals / Remit
The European Students’ Union (ESU) is the umbrella organisation of 45 national unions of students from 40 European countries. Since 1982, ESU has promoted and represented the educational, social, economic and cultural interests of almost 20 million students to all critical European decision-making bodies. ESU is an influential professional advocacy, and capacity-building organisation recognised as an important stakeholder at the European and international levels. Likewise, ESU has also been renowned and respected as a source of expertise on higher education policy at all institutional levels. ESU aims to ensure and strengthen students’ participation and to increase student input into higher education policy and decision-making.
Main EU files targeted
The Official Document for ESU’s Strategic Priorities for 2022-2024 outline the objectives within ESU’s work areas for the three years of 2022 to 2024.
ESU is the voice of European students and represents their interests and needs through many actions. Mainly, ESU participates and aims to influence the design and implementation of European policy processes and political strategies on education, mainly through the lens of higher education. Over the next three years, the main processes ESU is and will be focusing on are the Bologna Process and the European Higher Education Area, the European Education Area and the European Universities Initiative, the Erasmus+ programme, the European Research Area, the Global Students Forum, Next Generation EU, and the Green and Digital Transitions.
Throughout its advocacy and representation, ESU reiterates its commitment to defending and promoting students' rights, academic freedom, institutional autonomy, freedom of expression, recognition of democratic, independent student unions both at the European and national levels, and support for national unions in advocacy, lobbying, and capacity building. ESU promotes solidarity among unions and concrete support between its members. ESU also strives to promote the upward convergence of students’ rights within the European Higher Education Area and the European Education Area.
While advocating for students' rights, major problems like the commodification of education, inequity in access to higher education, threats to fundamental values, and the climate crisis must be addressed. Higher education students' deteriorating mental health situation following the COVID-19 pandemic also requires action and provides a framework for ESU's advocacy work. ESU aims to continuously improve the international aspect of Higher Education, as it is an invaluable experience for every learner and can build cross-border solidarity and cooperation to tackle the challenges of our generation.
ESU believes that education as a whole, and higher education more specifically, is not a commodity but rather a public utility, a human right, and a social responsibility, the aim of which is to serve multiple purposes, including individual enrichment, global citizenship education, responsibility to the needs of the communities and society and the and acquisition of knowledge and skills to enable students to thrive in a rapidly changing economy and society.
ESU will complete work related to awareness raising on European citizenship ahead of the upcoming European elections, quality of education in accordance with the upcoming review on further European cooperation in quality assurance, empowering stakeholders to take part in the green transition, to enhance more sustainable education and professional path, enhance solidarity and support towards Ukrainian students. Therefore, ESU’s core priorities for 2023 focus on defending student participation, an inclusive HE environment, internationalisation, a sustainable and innovative higher education and quality higher education. This will be done through participation in the EHEA and EEA structures, in which ESU is the most active part.
Regarding Digital Transition, one of the main priorities of ESU in its strategic priorities for the next three years is to actively engage in the discourse and use of Artificial Intelligence in the educational context and its impact on students, their education, and their rights; to raise awareness amongst the student movement on Intellectual property rights and to enhance resources for didactical, pedagogical and methodological training for the teaching staff to promote student-centred innovation in learning and teaching for the good of the society. Especially next year, according to the Plan of Work 2022-2023 of ESU, the work will focus on the mental health of the academic community in a digital reality, primarily due to the covid crisis.Address
Head Office
Rue de la Charite 22 Mundo Madou
Bruxelles 1210
BELGIUMEU Office
Rue de la Charite 22 Mundo Madou
Bruxelles 1210
BELGIUMWebsite
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People
Total lobbyists declared
9
Employment time Lobbyists 100% 7 50% 1 25% 1 Lobbyists (Full time equivalent)
7.75
Lobbyists with EP accreditation
All Lobbyists with EP accreditation over time
2 accreditations were / are live (in bold) for the selected state of 21 Mar 2023
Name Start date End Date Mr Matteo VESPA 29 Jul 2022 28 Jul 2023 Mr Horia Serban ONITA 28 Jul 2022 27 Jul 2023 Ms Gohar HOVHANNISYAN 15 Jan 2020 01 Sep 2020 Mr Robert NAPIER 03 Sep 2019 01 Sep 2020 Mr Sebastian BERGER 13 Jul 2019 11 Jul 2020 Mr Robert NAPIER 06 Jul 2018 06 Jul 2019 Ms Katrina KOPPEL 06 Jul 2018 06 Jul 2019 Mr Adam GAJEK 09 Jun 2018 08 Jun 2019 Blazhe Todorovski 20 Oct 2016 19 Oct 2017 Lea Christina Meister 20 Oct 2016 19 Oct 2017 Ms Anna Widegren 20 Oct 2016 02 Aug 2017 Ms Liva VIKMANE 20 Oct 2016 19 Oct 2017 Mr Fernando Miguel Galan Palomares 16 Jul 2015 14 Jul 2016 Blazhe Todorovski 28 May 2015 26 May 2016 Lea Christina Meister 28 May 2015 26 May 2016 Alexandra Antonescu 28 May 2015 26 May 2016 Blazhe Todorovski 26 Jun 2014 25 Oct 2014 Mr Fernando Miguel Galan Palomares 26 Jun 2014 24 Jun 2015 Ms Elisabeth Gehrke 26 Jun 2014 24 Jun 2015 Mr Robert Baldursson 26 Jun 2014 27 May 2015 Erin Nordal 26 Jun 2014 24 Jun 2015 Eleni Boulomyti 14 Mar 2014 12 Feb 2015 Blazhe Todorovski 11 Mar 2014 26 Jun 2014 Erin Nordal 01 Mar 2014 26 Jun 2014 Mr Rok Primozic 06 Sep 2013 05 Jul 2014 Ms Elin Blomqvist 06 Sep 2013 05 Jul 2014 Mr Fernando Miguel Galan Palomares 17 Jul 2013 26 Jun 2014 Ms Elisabeth Gehrke 17 Jul 2013 26 Jun 2014 Mr Robert Baldursson 17 Jul 2013 26 Jun 2014 Complementary Information
The Secretariat coordinates and implements project activities, campaigns, advocacy work, and capacity-building activities with the assistance of the Executive Committee (EC) members. They participate in projects aligned with their cluster memberships (i.e., area of work). Through ESU projects, we bring students' voices to the fore and build our knowledge and skills to continue advocating for student's interests at the European level on various issues. In parallel, the Secretariat is in charge of ESU management, including both staff and EC.
The Presidency and EC members work on policy formulation and advocacy by participating in various task forces, attending multiple meetings, and compiling their findings to share with the Board and the stakeholders we work with. Therefore, we can conclude that diversity of duties and work are completed daily at ESU, and all of ESU's delegates' efforts are necessary for the organisation to accomplish its mission.Person in charge of EU relations
Data not provided by Register Secretariat due to GDPR
Person with legal responsibility
Data not provided by Register Secretariat due to GDPR
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Categories
Category
Non-governmental organisations, platforms and networks and similar
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Networking
Affiliation
ESU is a member of the European Youth Forum (YFJ), the Lifelong Learning Platform (LLLP), United, Sirius, Global Campaign for Education, Global Students Forum, Groningen Declaration network, Advisory Council on Youth in Council of Europe, E4 group, EQAR and FAIB.
Member organisations
None declared
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Financial Data
Interests represented
Does not represent commercial interests
Closed financial year
Jan 2021 - Dec 2021
Lobbying costs for closed financial year
Since 20 September 2021 self-declared 'non-commercial organisations' are no longer required to provide a lobby budget. See above timeline for this registrant's historical lobby budget.
Total organisational budget in closed year
755,000€
Major funding types in closed year
Member's contribution, Grants, Other, EU funding
Major contributions in closed year
Type Name Amount Contribution European Commission OG2022 99,000€ Contribution Membership Fees from the members 2022 195,000€ Contribution Maribel Grant 44,000€ Contribution European Commission - Projects, ESU partner 90,000€ Contribution European Commison - ESU Coordinator BWSE 2030 200,000€ Contribution Academic Freedom, OSF 92,000€ Contribution Quality Assurance Pool Solidarity Fee from the reviews 35,000€ Grant European Commission Operating Grant 99,000€ Other financial info
None declared
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EU Structures
Groups (European Commission)
Europass Advisory Group#E03613#https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/expert-groups-register/screen/expert-groups/consult?lang=en&groupID=3613 #Member #C#Academia/Research#Working Group on Higher Education#E03799#https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/expert-groups-register/screen/expert-groups/consult?lang=en&groupID=3799 #Member #C#Academia/Research#European Qualifications Framework Advisory Group#E02107#https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/expert-groups-register/screen/expert-groups/consult?lang=en&groupID=2107 #Member #C#Other
Groups (European Parliament)
N/A
Other activities
Moreover, ESU runs Erasmus+ and Council of Europe projects in fields related to Higher Education.
ESU organises at least 4 major events per year (2 European Students Convention and 2 General Assembly), where its 45 National Students' Unions meet and discuss together.
ESU also attend the BFUG and the E4 with EU stakeholders on higher education; LLLP Steering Committee, etc.Meetings
Meetings
6 meetings found. Download meetings
The list below only covers meetings held since November 2014 with commissioners, their cabinet members or directors-general at the European Commission; other lobby meetings with lower-level staff may have taken place, but the European Commission doesn't publish information about such meetings. All information below comes from European Commission web pages.
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Date 30 Jan 2023 Location Brussels Subject European Year of Skills Cabinet Cabinet of President Ursula von der Leyen Portfolio President Commission - Maria Luisa Cabral (Cabinet member)
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Date 16 Oct 2020 Location online meeting Subject Online meeting requested by ESU to discuss ways to support students through the new European Education Area communication Commission - Themis Christophidou (Director-General)
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Date 20 Nov 2019 Location Brussels Subject Exchange of views on making future Erasmus more inclusive and sustainable. Commission - Themis Christophidou (Director-General)
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Date 16 Sep 2015 Location Brussels Subject Commissioner Navracsics’ participation in the 30th European Students’ Convention Cabinet Cabinet of Commissioner Tibor Navracsics Portfolio Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Commission - Patricia Reilly (Cabinet member)
- Christine Mai (Cabinet member)
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Date 23 Apr 2015 Location Brussels Subject Tackling the radicalisation of young people Cabinet Cabinet of Commissioner Tibor Navracsics Portfolio Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Commission - Tibor Navracsics (Commissioner)
Other Lobbyists - European Youth Press - Network of Young Media Makers, e.V.
- Youth for Exchange and Understanding
- European Confederation of Youth Clubs
- YES Forum EWIV YOUTH AND EUROPEAN SOCIAL WORK- EUROPAISCHE WIRTSCHAFTLICHE INTERESSENVEREINIGUNG ZUR FORDERUNG DER HUMANRESSOURCEN
- Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student organisations
- European Federation for Intercultural Learning
- Jeunes Entrepreneurs de l'Union Européenne
- European Educational Exchanges - Youth For Understanding
- European Union of Jewish Students
- European Youth Forum
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Date 09 Dec 2014 Location Brussels Subject Higher Education Policy Cabinet Cabinet of Commissioner Tibor Navracsics Portfolio Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Commission - Patricia Reilly (Cabinet member)