Exploring the Formation of a Network of Organized Citizens: The Case of the European Coalition for Vision

Networks of citizens have become increasingly prevalent in the EU; particularly in the public health sector. This growing pervasiveness is at least in part the result, generally, of ‘active (EU) citizenship’ and the increased inclusion of non/state actors in EU policy making and, specifically, a recognition by organizations and policy officials that many health issues cannot be effectively addressed by individual organizations acting on their own. Although interest and academic literature in network arrangements at EU level, particularly in the public health sector, have increased, little is known about how networks of citizens are formed and evolve. In response to this apparent space in the academic literature on networks, this article provides an in-depth study of the European Coalition for Vision; a self-labelled “alliance” of diverse societal actors which has evolved since 2012 with the self-proclaimed aim to “raise the profile of eye health and vision, help prevent avoidable visual impairment and secure an equal and inclusive society for those with irreversible blindness or low vision in Europe”. Focusing on this one case, the research is driven by one key research question: What were the key organizational and environmental conditions especially those related to the particular health problem of eye health, that contributed to the emergence of this network of citizens? The findings provide an understanding of how networks emerge, develop and evolve and the results provide network practitioners and policy officials with an understanding of how the activities of a large number of organizations with common eye-health gaols spanning multiple countries can be coordinated and integrated through the establishment of a formal network.