Civil society At the heart of the Eastern Partnership

CIVIL SOCIETYPRESS PACK

EU &

Eastern Neighbours

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VIDEOS

Interview with EuropeAid Neighbourhood Director video

Eastern Partnership video

Civil Society: promoting democratic values

Priority areas of intervention

Far-reaching support to civil society

Support on the ground

The Civil Society Forum

Does Civil Society matter in your country?

July 2014C I V I L S O C I E T Y P R E S S PAC K

SUCCESS STORIES

PHOTO GALLERIES

This publication exists only in electronic format. It has been prepared by the European Neighbourhood Info Centre, a project funded by the EU. It does not represent the o!cial view of the EC or the EU Institutions. The EC accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to its content.

EU & Eastern Neighbours

Civil society At the heart of the Eastern Partnership

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EU & Eastern Neighbours

Civil society organisations (CSOs) in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries should play a crucial role within their societies in providing policy input, developing new initiatives and in holding governments accountable for their actions, the EU believes. It considers them as major actors in promoting democracy and human rights, the rule of law and sustainable economic and social development.

EU support seeks to strengthen the role of civil society in the policy-making process and to promote a more favourable attitude of governments towards them. It considers that in order for reforms to be successful stronger participation of civil society is needed so as to enhance the oversight of public services and strengthen public con"dence in those services.

Support to CSOs is given at the bilateral level, with a country envelope of 5-10% of the total bilateral allocation, to support and strengthen their capacities. At a regional level it seeks to strengthen their networks, in particular the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF). The Eastern Partnership itself is to a large extent about regional cooperation and bringing partner countries together to work on issues of common interest.

Civil society: !78 million since EaP launchFollowing the launch of the EaP, the creation of the Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) and the Neighbourhood Civil Society Facility (CSF), civil society became a major stakeholder in the implementation of reforms and democratic changes. EU support to civil society in the region reached €78 million since the EaP launch, according to the 2014 regional progress report. Through the Facility, support was provided for the involvement of civil society in various sectors, for example: oversight functions in public "nance policy and management, food safety reform, policy dialogue with parliament, election observation, environmental protection, social inclusion, local development and public policies.

Civil Society: promoting democratic values

“Strengthening the capacity of civil society has been one of the most important and positive results of our cooperation with the Eastern Partnership. We have given civil society in partner countries unprecedented support in both political and financial terms. And we intend to continue” EuropeAid Neighbourhood Director Michael Köhler

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CSOs participate in EU-funded projects seeking to build up areas agreed with each partner country, such as reform, deeply rooted democracy, open societies, economic and social development. Below are some examples of activities in some of the priority areas:

Culture and Audiovisual: An Eastern Partnership Culture Programme with a €12 million budget is strengthening regional cultural links and dialogue and assists cultural policy reform at government level. Running since 2011, it o$ers capacity building, is improving the professionalism of cultural operators and contributes to exchange of information and experience. The programme will continue into a second phase for which a forecast was launched.

Youth: A project called The Eastern Partnership Youth Regional Unit got underway in 2013 to assist all EaP countries develop their youth policies. It organizes activities in the "eld of youth policy reform, as well as study tours and trainings, and promotes networking. For example, representatives from youth ministries and youth NGOs of all six participating countries had an intensive a study tour to the Czech and Slovak Republics that opened the door to new ideas, initiatives and contacts in youth policy.

Priority areas of intervention

Civil society: an EU priority for 2014-2020The regulation setting up the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI), the "nancial arm of the ENP that replaced the ENPI, o$ers substantive support to civil society: “The objectives of this Regulation should be pursued with the appropriate involvement of external action partners, including civil society organisations and local authorities, in preparing, implementing and monitoring Union support, given the importance of their roles. This Regulation should also support the strengthening of the capacity of civil society organisations to guarantee e!ective domestic accountability and local ownership, and to play a full role in the democratisation process.”

PHOTO GALLERIESCivil society

Photo sets on Flickr

The EU attaches great importance to the civil society as it empowers citizens to express their concerns, contributes to sound and democratic policy-making and hold governments to account” ENP Commissioner Štefan Füle

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CIVIL SOCIETY PRESS PACKThe EU has taken concrete actions and developed tools in order to channel additional support to civil society. The tools are:

CSF – Civil Society Facility The main goal of the Facility, established in 2011, is to reinforce CSOs so that they play their part in change and can be real actors in the democratisation process. This is done by boosting their contribution to policy-making, and developing further their advocacy, networking and monitoring capacities. An example of its activity is the “Strengthening non-State actors’ Capacities to Promote Reform and increase Public Accountability” project. In 2011-2013, almost €40 million went in support of civil society in the Eastern Partnership through the Civil Society Facility.

EED – European Endowment for Democracy Established to help political actors of change that face obstacles in accessing donor funding, such as journalists, bloggers, non-registered NGOs, political movements. The EED o$ers a rapid and 'exible funding mechanism for bene"ciaries who are not or are insu!ciently supported, in particular for legal or administrative reasons, making it a very unique tool. It primarily seeks to support groups and activists that cannot be supported by existing EU instruments or other programmes. The EED, which is not an EU institution, has a €6 million grant to support its set-up and functioning.

EIDHR – European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights The EIDHR is designed to help civil society to become an e$ective force for political reform and defence of human rights. It is the main instrument that aims to help "ght against human rights violations and promotes media freedom by supporting CSOs’ unhindered access to the Internet and the use of electronic communications technologies.

NSA-LA – Non-State Actors and Local Authorities thematic programme Aims at encouraging non-state actors and local authorities to get more involved in development issues. Supporting Non-State Actors and Local Authorities means encouraging local participation in development, at both national and local level. It also means working for better governance and more participative development, which is thus more relevant to citizens. The EU believes these organisations are a real bene"t given their proximity to local communities and their greater 'exibility when it comes to implementation.

Contacts between peopleThe Eastern Partnership has four thematic platforms that re'ect the four main areas of cooperation between partner countries and the EU. Platform 4 is all about: Contacts between people. This platform works towards increasing contact between EU and partner countries’ citizens, with an emphasis on young people, including through the development of the information society and the media. Other aspects of people contacts include cultural cooperation, education and research. People contacts are seen as a factor that promotes change in the partner countries.

Far-reaching support to civil society

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On a local level, much support to civil society is given via the EU Delegations, which often have calls for proposals. CSOs are invited to express their view on relations between their country and the EU for the annual progress reports and Delegations are regularly organising consultations with civil society actors. This information, along with a list of all projects funded in the country, can be found on Delegation websites.

Support on the ground

ArmeniaThe EU Delegation maintains a Civil Society Dialogue website that aims at providing civil society actors with the possibility to exchange views on issues important for the future development of EU-Armenia relations.

AzerbaijanThe EU is the largest foreign donor supporting civil society in Azerbaijan, with over 60 projects funded and some €11.9 million between 2007 and 2013. Support is provided primarily through the NSA and EIDHR instruments, which focus on supporting vulnerable groups, human rights defenders, media freedom, free and fair elections. 

BelarusThe EU strengthened its engagement with civil society and the public at large, with support reaching €19m in 2011-2013. This includes projects aiming at guaranteeing freedom of thought, conscience and religion, improving women and child rights, increasing capacity of CSOs and human rights defenders etc.

GeorgiaIn 2014, the EU awarded 34 grants totalling € 4.8 million to CSOs. The projects will focus on human rights, democratisation, development of civil society’s capacity to better support citizens’ rights and access to public services, citizens’ participation in policy making for economic development, and justice.

MoldovaThe Institute for Democracy in Moldova is receiving funds from the EED to support Youth leadership in Transnistria. This CSO is based in Gagauzia and is receiving support to expand its activities and to trigger youth activism and leadership.

UkraineA Civil Society Platform that manages bilateral consultations between Ukrainian civil society and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), an EU consultative body bringing together employers, trade unions, professional associations and other interest groups, will be set up, based on article 469 of the Association Agreement signed with the EU.

Country roadmaps The EU has adopted a more strategic approach towards CSOs in the partner countries. EU Delegations are now developing roadmaps on working with civil society at country level, in order to increase structure and consistency and give a strategic approach to the EU’s engagement. This e$ort is expected to provide more impact, predictability and visibility to EU actions targeting civil society, as well as increased complementarity between EU instruments and the support o$ered by the Member States.

Here are some examples of what is being done on the ground:

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With more than 500 CSOs under its umbrella, the role of the EaP Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) as a platform for interaction and as a stakeholder in the policy dialogue in the participating countries has become more prominent during and after the 2013 Vilnius summit. In the context of the recent political developments in the EaP region, the EaP CSF has organised numerous open discussions to assess the rapidly evolving situation in the Eastern Neighbourhood and look for ways to solve geopolitical and policy dilemmas facing the Neighbourhood, as well as assess the role that civil society can play in the reform process.

Its thematic working groups are discussing issues of European integration in areas of democracy and human rights, visa facilitation, economic integration, environment and climate change, youth and social policies, etc.

Also, the EaP CSF is a part of tripartite dialogues between the government, civil society and the EU, for example in Moldova and Georgia.

The Forum believes the post-Vilnius events have once again indicated that the path to European integration is a long-term process, often requiring a change of a mind-set. Thus public awareness activities have been a prominent feature in its activities. The work to increase accountable and participatory policy-making in the EaP countries is ongoing, with many challenges lying ahead.

National Platforms: Under the Forum, National Platforms have been established in all six Partner countries to ensure the active involvement of civil society in cooperation with national authorities, o$ering recommendations for implementation of projects, establishing stable relations with European CSOs, and facilitating communication with EU institutions. 

Working Groups: The EaP CSF has "ve working groups that bring together CSOs of the six countries and the EU, and o$er the civil society perspective. They are1. Democracy, human rights, good governance and stability2. Economic integration and convergence with EU policies3. Environment, climate change and energy security4. Contacts between people5. Social & Labour Policies and Social Dialogue

SUCCESS STORIESArmenia Citizens want their public spaces back

Russia Photo Youth – the art of crossing borders

“In the East the Civil Society Forum has become a permanent feature of the work of the Eastern Partnership at the multilateral level” ENP Commissioner Štefan Füle

EaP Civil Society Forum: a leading platform

“The EaP CSF has become an e!ective mechanism for channelling information from civil society to European institutions and back” CSF steering committee co-chair Krzysztof Bobiński.

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ENP countries directly eligible under the NIF

total volume of NIF contributions approved

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In which area would you say Civil Society is active in your country?

To what extent do you trust Civil Society organizations to represent your interests? 

The EU Neighbourhood Info Centre has released a new infographic highlighting the answers to these questions across the and Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood regions, as posed in a series of opinion polls conducted by the EU Neighbourhood Barometer project.

The surveys were conducted in December 2013-January 2014, in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine in the East, and Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia in the South.

They are based on around 1,000 interviews in each country.

To what extent do you trustCivil Society organizations to represent your interest?

EU Neighbourhood Barometer - Views on civil societyENPI EAST (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine) In which area would you say Civil Society is active in your country?

40%

40%

20%

Trust

Do not trust

Don’t know22%

14%

18%

18%

12%

Human rights

Unemployment

Fight against corruption

Consumer rights

Freedom of speech

Does Civil Society matter in your country? A poll on Civil Society across the Neighbourhood

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EU Neighbourhood Handbooks From the EU Neighbourhood Info Centre website, a number of di!erent handbooks can be downloaded, o!ering tips to media professionals for improved coverage of EU cooperation activities, but also providing information on how to access EU funding or to navigate through EU jargon. A wealth of knowledge at your disposal, just a click away on www.enpi-info.eu.

Useful LinksInfo Centre interview – Civil Society at the heart of the Eastern Partnership

www.enpi-info.eu/maineast.php?id=755&id_type=6&lang_id=450

Info Centre Interview – European Endowment for Democracy www.enpi-info.eu/maineast.php?id_type=1&id=37587

Info Centre interview – Civil Society Forum www.enpi-info.eu/maineast.php?id=682&id_type=6&lang_id=450

Info Centre – Civil Society and Local Authorities webpage www.enpi-info.eu/themeeast.php?subject=14

EuropeAid – Civil society webpage http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/what/civil-society/index_en.htm

Civil Society – helpdesk webgate.ec.europa.eu/fp"s/mwikis/aidco/index.php/Main_Page

Info Centre – Eastern Partnership webpage www.enpi-info.eu/maineast.php?id=506&id_type=2

key quotes Browse key quotes on migration issues by top EU o!cials, projects and bene"ciaries on the ground: EAST and SOUTH

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EU & Eastern Neighbours

DOCUMENTS

CIVIL SOCIETY PRESS PACK

Action plans

Agreements

Country reports

Declarations

Resolutions

Strategy documents

EU Neighbourhood LibraryOur online database

Documents

2014 regional progress report http://eeas.europa.eu/enp/pdf/2014/regional/eastern_partnership_report.pdf

Communication: Europe’s engagement with Civil Society in external relations (2012) https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fp"s/mwikis/aidco/images/5/50/Com_492_en.pdf

Regulation establishing ENI (March 2014) http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2014:077:0027:0043:EN:PDF

A new response to a changing Neighbourhood (2011) www.enpi-info.eu/library/content/new-response-changing-neighbourhood-review-european-neighbourhood-policy

Info Centre documents Library – civil society www.enpi-info.eu/library/theme/Civil%20society%20and%20local%20authorities

www.enpi-info.eu/library/

press packsOther Info Centre press packs are available online: EAST and SOUTH

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The EU: a major donor for the Neighbourhood

EU support to the region is mainly channeled through the European Commission’s Directorate General for Development and Cooperation – EuropeAid. http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid

The European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) funding approved for the period 2014-2020 is # 15.4 billion. The ENI replaces the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI), for which the funding was # 11.2 billion for the period 2007-2013. The new instrument provides faster and more $exible funding, allowing for incentives for best performers, to 16 partner countries to the East and South of the EU’s borders.

East: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine. South: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria*, Tunisia. * EU Cooperation with Syria is currently suspended due to the political situation

The EU Neighbourhood Info Centre is an EU-funded Regional Communication project highlighting the partnership between the EU and Neighbouring countries. www.enpi-info.eu

EU Neighbourhood Info Centre An ENPI project

The EU Neighbourhood Info Centre is an EU-funded Regional Communication project highlighting the partnership between the EU and Neighbouring countries. This presspack has been produced by the EU Neighbourhood Info Centre.

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Photos: AFP/EPA for the EU Neighourhood Info CentreCopyright EU/EU Neighbourhood Info Centre 2014