How will Civil Society Organisations survive Croatia accession to EU?
In conditions of pan-European economic crisis afflicting the entire European Union, European
Social Fund represents a particularly valuable source of funding for the programs that
contribute to mitigation of negative consequences and provision of new opportunities to the
particularly vulnerable social groups in the field of employment, education, social welfare etc.
In order to reduce developmental differences between member states of the EU and European
regions, Republic of Croatia will also be able, after joining the EU on 1 July 2013, to use
resources from this Fund. Subsequently, in the second half of the year 2012 alone Croatia will
attain access to 60 million euros.
However, in view of experiences concerning preparation and planning of priorities in Croatia
thus far, there are concerns about the methods of defining and the quality of proposed
projects, which should be based upon actual needs related to employment, education and
social protection of most vulnerable groups and development of social services in the
community.
CSOs are actually the ones providing such support and they have proven their abilities to go
through procedures of obtaining EU funding, as indicated by the 99% absorption of preaccession funds. Moreover, CSOs contribute to democratization, protection of human rights
and strengthening of the rule of law; but also to the state budget – according to the data
published by the Ministry of Finance, in 2010 CSOs employed 17 724 persons, whereas in
2011 this number has increased to 18 667 persons, which amounts to over five per cent
growth.
After issuing an open letter „Will civil society survive Croatia's accession to the EU?“ in
which CSOs requested to be involved into decision-making process concerning European
Structural Fund in Croatia, their representatives have been selected through the Council for
Civil Society Development to join seven Thematic Working Groups for preparation of
program documents for Structural and Cohesion Funds, which started with work on 10
December 2012.
In order to ensure cooperation between CSOs and state administration bodies, while planning
European Structural Fund priorities, we request that:
1. Civil society development is defined as a separate and general priority within each
operational program.
2. CSOs are included as project partners and beneficiaries within operational program
priorities of all state administration bodies.
3. Within activities of the Thematic Working Groups special emphasis should be placed on
areas of employment and public administration reform.
4. Grant schemes are provided for both macro and micro projects of CSOs through the
Office for Cooperation with NGOs and other state administration bodies.
5. Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds and the Ministry of Finance should
provide adequate funds for pre-financing of non-profit organisations' projects in the
amount of at least 50% of the total project amount, to be paid upon signature of the
contract.
These requests have been supported by the following civil society organizations:
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Academus
Centar za mir, nenasilje i ljudska prava Osijek
Hrvatski institut za lokalnu samoupravu (HILS)
Društvo za psihološku pomoć
Autonomni centar - ACT
DEŠA - Dubrovnik
Riječki sportski savez
Udruga malih sirara Osječko-baranjske županije Siros
Hrvatska gorska služba spašavanja
GONG
Zelena akcija
Savez udruga Klubtura
Institut za demokraciju IDEMO
Ženska udruga "Izvor"
Srpski demokratski forum SDF
Pokreni ideju – Udruga za promicanje socijalnih inovacija (Hub Zagreb inicijativa)
LAG Sumaniovći
Hrvatska udruga za školovanje pasa vodiča i mobilitet
Udruga invalida rada Vukovar
CEDEPE - Društvo osoba s cerebralnom i dječjom paralizom Zagreb
Centar za socijalnu inkluziju Šibenik
Udruga za promicanje ljudskih prava i medijskih sloboda "Cenzura plus"
Mirovna grupa Oaza Beli Manastir
Hrvatski pravni centar
Hrvatski crveni križ
Centar za edukaciju i informiranje potrošača
Partnerstvo za društveni razvoj
Centar za žene žrtve rata ROSA
Udruga za promicanje projektne kulture “EU klub”
Udruženje stanara grada Osijeka
Razvojna agencija Sjever
Mreža mladih Hrvatske
Udruga invalida rada Vukovar
Strukovna udruga za promicanje dobrobiti djece „Portić“
Organizacija za građanske inicijative OGI
Transparency International Hrvatska
Centar za građanske inicijative Poreč
Udruga DOOR
Građanska organizacija razvoja društva -GORD
HOMO Udruga za zaštitu ljudskih prava i građanskih sloboda Pula
Centar za razvoj demokracije – CERD, Split
Udruga žena Vukovar
Udruga žena Romkinja " Romsko srce"
Udruga „IZVOR“
Udruga za prevenciju socijalno-patološkog ponašanja mladih "PREVENCIJA"
Forum za slobodu odgoja
Centar za mirovne studije
Zelena Istra
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CESI – Centar za edukaciju, savjetovanje i istraživanje
„Projekt građanskih prava“ Sisak
Udruga za nezavisnu medijsku kulturu
Udruženje BARANJA
Zagreb PRIDE
Moslavina media servis
UP – Udruga za društveni razvoj
Udruga za promicanje istih mogućnosti UPIM
Hrvatsko debatno društvo
SUSH – Savez udruga stanara Hrvatske
B.a.b.e.
Dalmatinski odbor solidarnosti
Udruga za samozastupanje
Volonterski centar Zagreb
Documenta
Kuća ljudskih prava
Volonterski centar Osijek
Udruga Franjo Košćec
Udruga roditelja djece s posebnim potrebama ''Put u život''- PUŽ
Eko Pan
Sjaj - udruga za društvenu afirmaciju osoba s duševnim smetnjama
Udruga Mobbing
Ekološka udruga "Krka" Knin
Udruga za promicanje ljudskih prava i medijskih sloboda Cenzura Plus
Eko - Zadar
Zeleni Osijek
Koordinacija udruga za djecu
Udrugu za prirodu, okoliš i održivi razvoj Sunce
Brodsko ekološko društvo-BED
DIM - Udruga za građansko obrazovanje i društveni razvoj
Roda - Roditelji u akciji
Ženska soba - Centar za seksualna prava
Centar za podršku i razvoj civilnog društva "DELFIN" Pakrac
Udruga Nobilis
Fade In
Udruga za promicanje kultura Kulturtreger
Kurziv - Platforma za pitanja kulture, medija i društva