EU and Civil Society in
the Western Balkans and
Turkey
Policy context
• Strengthening CSOs -
core part of the Political
Criteria for accession
• Enlargement Strategy 2014-2015
– key areas of
action
• Public administration reform
• Economic governance and competitiveness
• Rule of law and fundamental rights
"A culture of acceptance of the work of
organisations (NGOs) and human rights defenders"
non-governmental
Policy context
• Multi-Country Strategy Paper (2014-2020)
- Support to civil society  creating the conditions
for enabling and stimulating participatory democracy
 civil society dialogue
 transparency, accountability and effectiveness
 policy-making
- Improved conditions for an independent and
accountable media
 enabling environment
 internal governance
 independance, ethics, professionalism
EU support to civil society
and media freedom
• Communication COM(2012)492:
• "The
roots
of
democracy
and
sustainable
development: Europe's engagement with Civil Society
in external relations"
• Guidelines for EU support to civil society in
enlargement countries, 2014 – 2020
• Guidelines for EU support to media freedom and
media integrity in enlargement countries, 2014 2020
Purpose of the Guidelines
• Focus on enabling environment and capacity
building
• Translate political objectives of the Enlargement
strategy in a concrete “results’ framework”
• Ensure consistency between policy and
assistance at both multi-country and national level
as well as complementarity with other donors
• Improve monitoring of performance and results
and link to progress reports
EU guidelines for support to civil society (1)
Grassroot
organisations
Employment/
volunteering
Enabling
environment
Legal and
policy
environment
Financial
incentive
Financial
environment
Public
funding
Changing
CSOs-govt
relations
Freedom
of
expression
Donation
Financial
rules
Inclusion
Dialogue
EU guidelines for support to civil society (2)
Strategic
planning
Evidencebased
policies
Internal
governance
structures
Capacitybuilding
Capable,
transparent
and
accountable
Effective
CSOs
Communication
with the
public
Financial
transparency
Networks
and
coalitionbuidling
Financially
sustainable
Fundraising
strategy
Internal
evaluation
Diverse
funding
base
EU guidelines for support to the media
Legislation &
policies
Judiciary
acts
Transparency
rules,
labour
standards
Support to
the Media
Enabling
legal &
judiciary
environment
Internal
governance
& public
confidence
Capacity
building for
professional
media
organizations
Public
service
media
Improve
relations
with govt
Improve
relations
within
media
community
Investigative
journalism
Professio
nalism
and
integrity
EU guidelines for support to CS
•
•
•
•
•
Annual monitoring
Revised indicators, targets, benchmarks
Monitoring of enabling environment (BCSDN)
Survey for CSOs development
DG NEAR engagement with governments to improve
enabling environment for CSOs
 More information at:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/w71782dxd4v62w6/AADVQpMx0c
V9LTBszApl1V5wa?dl=0
AL
Strategy
- adopted
- implemented
Council for
Cooperation
BiH
Kosovo FYROM
ME
SER
TR

























Consultation
- legal
- Practice



36%
39%
28%
Funding sources
Foreign funding
2.2
50%
2.4
26%
1.9
38%
2.3
42%
2.2
23%
2.7
29%
2.3
17%
Fund-raising not
related to
strategic plans
56%
83%
83%
67%
65%
65%
48%







State funding
11%
Civil Society Facility (1)
Strong HQs – EUD coordination mechanism (CS task
force, CS working group)
D5 support to EUD in policy dialogue with Governments
EU Guidelines for CS as main driving mechanism for
results oriented assistance and policy dialogue
Highest visibility as funds are pooled from multi-country
and countries' envelopes in one EC decision
Civil Society Facility (2)
Direct Management (D5, EUD) avoiding governments'
interferring into CSOs operations (watchdog)
Fast absorption of funds (N+1). All IPA I funds
contracted. No need for financing agreements with
countries
2014-2015 programmes approved 68 mln €, 2014
under implementation.
2016-2017 programmes under elaboration. Estimated
allocation 80 mln €.
Civil Society Facility (3)
• Approx. 170.000 registered CSOs* and potential CSF
beneficiaries in the Western Balkans and Turkey
• Long-term grants, operating grants, sub-grants
through CfPs, Grants to IOs, Service Contracts and
Twinnings
• CSOs and external evaluations (2012) expressed high
level of satisfaction with CSF and its implementation
modalities
•
CSF evaluation in 2016
•
*No data available for BiH; no formal obligation for CSOs to register in Albania
Civil Society Facility (4)
•
Fields of action :
• Civil society development, CSOs/networks capacity building
• Local democracy
• Anti-corruption, good governance
• Social inclusion (non-discrimination)
• Media & freedom of expression
• Environmental policies
• Energy policies
• Support to social dialogue and social partners
• Gender and women rights
• Youth policies, Child rights
• Reconciliation, intercultural dialogue
• Technical assistance to govt, CSD
• Sustainable socio-economic development (rural areas)
• Rule of law and protection of fundamental rights (rights of
prisoners, access to justice, to information)
• Business environment, social entrepreneurship, CSR
• Minorities rights (Roma, LGBTI)
• Other
Sectors financed CSF 2011-2013
CSF Regional level
CSF National level
(2011-2013)
(2011-2013)
Priority
sectors
1. Technical
assistance to
CSOs, capacitybuilding
2. Media &
freedom of
expression
3. Energy
policies
4. Social
inclusion (nondiscrimination)
5. Reconciliation,
intercultural
dialogue
Total regional
Total
regional
(2011-2013)
Total
national
Priority sectors (2011-2013)
No. of
projects
12,6 mln. €
7
3,2 mln. €
6
3 mln. €
4
2 mln. €
5
1,6 mln. €
3
34 mln. €
52
1. Local democracy
2. Technical
assistance to
CSOs, capacitybuilding
3. Anti-corruption,
good governance
4. Social inclusion
(nondiscrimination)
5.Technical
assistance to govt,
CSD
Total national
No. of
projects
5,5 mln. €
13
3,2 mln. €
8
3 mln. €
20
2,3 mln. €
19
2,3 mln. €
3
32 mln. €
148
Civil Society Facility (2011-2013)
Regional programmes
National programmes
Technical assistance for
CSOs on country and multicountry level
Technical assistance for
governments to open to
CSOs, enabling
environment
Regional and international
networks of CSOs,
knowledge, research,
advocacy, inclusion of EU
CSOs
National and
local/community-based
networks and actions,
capacity building, grass-root
organisations
P2P, exchange of lessons,
methodologies and crossregional trainings
Focus on national priorities,
accession negotiations, local
networking
Regional actions for media
(IOs)
National media freedoms
grants
Civil Society Facility (2014-2015)
Regional programmes
National programmes
TACSO, P2P
Resource Centres
Yearly monitoring of EU
guidelines for CS and link
with Progress reports
Yearly monitoring of EU
guidelines, revision of national
targets, benchmarks, indicators
Call for support to regional
thematic networks of CSOs
(long-term grants),
operating grants
National calls for local,
community-based networks and
actions, capacity building,
grass-root organisations
Media freedom and integrity National CfP for media &
(IO), CfP for media CSOs
freedom of expression
Strengthening reconciliation Public procurement and
enabling financial environment
Support to children rights
National grants for good
governance, govt-CSO dialogue
Civil Society Facility (2016-2017)
Regional programmes
National programmes
TACSO regional + P2P
Resource Centres for national
CSOs
Regional calls for support to
thematic networks of CSOs
National calls for local/
community-based networks
and CSOs (incl. sub-grants)
Local democracy regional
intervention
Technical assistance to
governments for CSOs relation
Gender regional programme
Gender national programme
(complements regional action)
Operating grants regional CSO
Operating grants national CSO
Public Services media
Calls for media CSOs and
investigative journalism
CSF 2011 - 2013
CSF
Amount
contracted
(mln. €)
%
No. of
contracts
%
Regional
33.96
51.5%
52
26%
National
31.98
48.5%
148
74%
Total
65.94
100%
200
100%
CSF 2011-2013 – CSOs financed
CSOs
Amount
contracted (mln. €)
Regional
432
33.96
National
362
31.98
Total
794
65.94
CSOs financed via CSF and Media 2011-2013
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
No. of CSOs
Place
CSOs financed
via CSF
2011-2013
CSOs registered
with TACSO
CSOs totals (BCSDN data
on enabling environment
for civil society)
Albania
54
950
8 449
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
124
983
No data available
Kosovo*
70
107
8 000
fYRoM
65
868
13 656
Montenegro
79
393
3 300
Serbia
194
996
23 948
Turkey
40
1 429
108 738
EU-based
168
-
-
-
513
-
TACSO Regional
office
Total
794
626 WB+T
6 239
%
10% (CSF/TACSO)
0.37% (CSF/total)
3.75%
(TACSO/Total)
166 091
DG Neighbourhood and
Enlargement Negotiations,
Unit D5 Western Balkans Regional
Cooperation and Programmes
Nicola Bertolini – Head of Sector,
Civil Society and Social Inclusion
nicola.bertolini@ec.europa.eu