June 2026 Updates

Our EU Communications Academy is back — 15 October. Register now!

The EU Communications Academy III, 'Cutting through in turbulent times', will take place in Brussels on Thursday 15 October. This one-day training will explore effective communications for public interest advocates in the current EU context. 

Designed for individuals looking to develop or refresh core skills, it will cover the essentials of effective advocacy communication, including media relations, online influencing, and framing and messaging. The day is all about sharing practical advice, resources and new ideas, and networking and building community among civil society.

Fran Gater, our communications expert, will be joined by Marianna Tuokkola, a political social media wizard, Olivia Lori Iglesias, a content creator and influencer on the EU and disability rights, Aoife White, Brussels journalist, and other insiders from the EU media bubble. Find out all the details, download the programme and register here.

EU Academy Baltics: putting the outskirts front and centre

In May a group of almost thirty public interest advocates from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were in Riga for a two-day training. Baltic countries are located on the Eastern outskirts of the EU but have been centre of the EU’s attention since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Still, civil society organisations from these countries too often struggle to be heard in important EU policy debates. We want to change this!

The training was packed with sessions on the essentials on EU decision-making and influencing, the local context and the challenges civil society faces, and with Baltic insiders from the institutions. An MEP from Estonia, a former Lithuanian Deputy Ambassador to the EU and a member of Commissioner Andrius Kubilius’ team joined and shared their insider insights with the group.

This is what Viktorija Kolbešnikova of the Center for Equality Advancement in Lithuania had to say after the EU Academy Baltics: “The training provided us with an understanding that we can actually influence EU decision-making despite the sometimes overcomplicated EU machinery. It also gave a broader perspective: all Member States are part of one larger entity and should participate more actively in shaping the EU’s strategic direction to keep EU values at its core.”
Thanks to our fantastic partners from the Estonian Green Movement, Green Liberty in Latvia, the Open Lithuania Foundation, and the National Coalition of NGOs in Lithuania!

The programme of the EU Academy Baltics is available here. Are you interested in organising a training for public interest advocates in your country? Drop us a mail at euacademy@euchanger.org

Strategic support to the EU Raw Materials Coalition

EUChanger recently facilitated the annual meeting of the EU Raw Materials Coalition. This included a full day of exchanges on the priorities and strategy with all members and an additional half-day strategy meeting of the coalition’s Beyond Growth Working Group. The coalition advocates for an equitable, environmentally just transition. It recently reacted to the Commission’s RESourceEU Action Plan designed to accelerate the EU’s critical raw materials strategy. Read their recommendations here.

Is your organisation defending the public interest in an area where the EU plays an important role? Do you need strategic advice, coaching for your team or support to reach out to EU decision-makers? Find out more about the support we offer here. Get in touch here.

Meet EU change-makers: Madara Merle of the Latvian Fund for Nature

Madara Merle is Advocacy Coordinator at the Latvian Fund for Nature  and participated in the EU Academy Baltics in Riga. For her, the gap between legislation adopted at EU level and its implementation at national level is a recurring challenge. She believes that for organisations from small countries, the ability to cooperate beyond borders is key to staying informed and having an impact. 

Madara talked to us about the Latvian context and gives her tips to public interest advocates in this interview.

Photo by Reinis Auzins