With the aim to contribute for further improvement of the programming of IPA assistance to civil society, BCSDN has prepared comments and recommendations on the Multi-Country 2014-2015 IPA Civil Society Facility and Media Action document. Our comments are based on the policy workshop on Aid Modalities for CS support under the new IPA 2014-2020 held in Brussels in September 2013, and the findings from the Regional Report under the Monitoring Matrix for Enabling Environment for CSDev. 

The External Relations Section of the EESC adopted an own-initiative Opinion on Enhancing the transparency and inclusiveness of the EU accession process on 12th June, tabled by Marina Skrabalo - an EESC member from Croatia. The Opinion outlines some of the key features and lessons learned from the EU's enlargement policy over the past five years.

In the frame of the advocacy initiative for the creation of an enabling environment for CSOs development in Albania, and following the National Conference “Social Partners-Time for Action”, organized on 13 and 16 December 2013, Partners Albania (PA) has undertaken concrete steps on addressing the issues presented in the Statement of Civil Society Organizations, for which the government has expressed its commitment.

The Union of Municipalities of Montenegro, in partnership with the Centre for NGO Development (CRNVO) and the Ministry of the Interior, organized a regional consultative meeting for representatives from local governments and civil society sector “Applying and lessons learned in the implementation of the Ordinance on the establishment of the Council for cooperation between local government and non-governmental organizations and the Rules of Procedures of Municipal Parliament” in Tivat on 5 June 2014.