The Declaration calls on the EU to present clear, transparent and measurable benchmarks to allow CSOs to monitor the process and enable fair and transparent progress of each country, such as was the case with the visa liberalization roadmaps. The EU institutions and WB Governments are called on to establish and maintain regular dialogue with CSOs in the EU integration process. The Declaration is being supported by over 450 CSOs and networks , including the Balkan Civil Society Development Network.
Author: anja
Tanja Hafner Ademi, Executive Director of BCSDN presented the state of affairs and analysis of the situation in the Balkans, especially the effects of the crisis on civil society. According to here, the issue is too little reflected and discussed in the sector and few have been cases of direct action by CSOs against the crisis. Fortunately, in comparison to the state and the private sector, the crisis has had lesser effect on the sector. Still, the effects are predominately negative trough the seeped-up withdrawal of donors and greater demand on service providing CSOs. Nevertheless, the crisis is pushing CSOs…
The focus of the Forum was on the implementation of economic and social rights. Moreover, this year’s Forum was devoted to transport policy and the role civil society can play in the sector. The general role of CSOs in the EU integration process was also discussed. Here, in an intervention, Tanja Hafner Ademi challenged the Commission representative on whether they plan on introducing an EU Acquis for civil society and urged that principles of policy and (IPA) assistance coherence, effectiveness, ownership and sustainability guide the EU Enlargement policy. In Conclusions the participants adopted, among others, also conclusions pointing to the…
The general objective of the workshop was to discuss and elaborate on the future cooperation between the CSOs and the EU and in particular to discuss the role of TACSO (Technical Assistance to Civil Society Organizations in the Western Balkans and Turkey) in that respect. The workshop was a mix of report on the TACSO progress and future and working sessions on challenges to CSOs and possibilities for CSF and TACSO to address these. The TACSO project active phase started as of beginning of February 2010 with kick-off events, launch of the website and organization of regional ToT on 5…
In 2009, the network for the first time successfully employed advocacy tools such as a policy paper and policy workshop on the needs of involvement of local CSOs in designing of EU support to civil society and demonstrated the willingness and capacity of the network to contribute to the reform and democratization process in the region. Principally, the role of the network has become to coordinate civil society actors and strengthen public institutions with the expertise, knowledge and the needed “inside” into the needs of citizens. The networks information-sharing activities and especially the E-mail alerts remain the main regional resource…
The meeting gathered 11 existing and 1 new organization – Institute for Democracy and Mediation from Tirana, Albania. The Council adopted the Annual Work and Financial Report 2009, the Annual Work and Financial Plan 2010, the Council Rules of Procedure, the Membership Fee Key Principle and Selected the Independent Auditor for the period January 2010 to July 2011. The Council was also informed about election of the new Board Chairperson Miljenko Dereta with a mandate till 7th July, 2011. On the margins of the meeting, joint bilateral and multilateral initiatives for exchange and cooperation were also discussed.
NEWSLETTER 42 December 2009-March 2010 Introduction Past Activities & Events Balkan Monitor 2009 Survey Discussed in National Panel Presentations Common Trends Found in Responses, but BCSDN Issues Less Problematic for EU Organizations Aspects of the Impact and Sustainability of CSOs in Macedonia 2nd Meeting of the Macedonia-EU Joint-Consultative Committee Advocacy The EU Quadrialogue Initiative IPA Civil Society Facility- Running of the Project BCSDN Policy Workshop on Civil Dialogue, 20th May, Brussels, Belgium New Civil Dialogue Section in the BCSDN E-mail Alerts Executive Office Annual Planning and Reporting Fundraising Network Bodies 2nd Annual Council Meeting, 30th- 31st March, Sarajevo, Bosnia and…
Tanja Hafner Ademi, Executive Director of BCSDN attended the panel discussion on 24th February held in EU Info Center in Skopje, Macedonia. The survey results and the discussion brough to surface diverse and sometime conflicting views held by citizens of the Balkan countries. The Balkan Monitor report and survey date are available on te special project website. Discussion from all national panels are available here.
In the introductory part, the participants were addressed by Mr. Xhelal Bajrami, Minister of Labor and Social Policy. He welcomed the Committee’s work and stressed that its work is expected to initiate more discussion and information exchange in Macedonia and the EU. Mr. Vasko Naumovski, Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, in his address stressed the importance of the participation of civil society in policy-making and commitment of the Government to improve its inclusion in the future. His Excelency, Ambassador Erwan Fouere, Special Representative and Head of the Delegation and the two presidents, Ms. Vladimir Drbalova and Mr. Saso Klekovski…
The first panel addressed the issue of participation of CSOs in policy-development. The panel featured presentations of Zoran Milkov, General Secretariat, Government of the RM; Liljana Popovska, MP; Galina Rizova, Senior Adviser, TACSO project; Emina Nuredinovska, Civic Platform for Macedonia and Darko Aleksov, Citizens’ Association MOST. The second panel discussed challenges to sustainability to CSOs. The panel feature presentation of Saso Klekovski, MCIC; Irena Ivanova, Delegation of the EU and Tanja Hafner Ademi, BCSDN. Tanja Hafner Ademi delivered a presentation under the title “Between Expectations and Reality: Comments and Thought from a Regional Perspective”. Her presentation focused on Croatian and…