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EU FINANCIAL REGULATION REVIEW
MORE TRUST AND FLEXIBLITY FOR BETTER RESULTS AND PARTNERSHIP
On 19th October, the Commission launched a public consultation on its Financial Regulation, which regulates rules for all EU programmes and financing (incl. IPA, EIDHR) managed by the Commission and its agencies. The consultation was specifically focused on two issues: grants and administration procedures. Since most BCSDN members have benefited from Commission funding and have experienced problems with EU bureaucracy, the BCSDN submitted its recommendations for how the grant rules and application procedure could be simplified.  |
INFORMATION-SHARING
NEWSLETTER NO. 41 OUT NOW!
The latest issue of BCSDN Newsletter brings the following news covering the period from October till December:
Activities & Events
BCSDN Now on Social Media- Facebook and Twitter!
Conference Report: The CoE Code of Good Practice for Civil Participation in the Decision-making Promoted at an International Conference in Ljubljana
Regional Initiative: Local CSOs Initiate Regional Network on Corporate Social Responsibility
Conference Report: Strengthening the Triangle CSOs-National Governments-European Commission: Reinforcing the Europe-wide Civil Society and Building Partnership
Exchange of Experience: Networking in Europe and the Balkans: Presentation of BCSDN at 6th Assembly of FENS |
CONFERENCE
PROMOTING EUROPEAN ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP IN THE BALKANS: BUILDING EUROPE THROUGH TOWN-TWINNING AND CIVIL SOCIETY NETWORKING, SKOPJE, 4TH DECEMBER
The conference “Promoting European Active Citizenship in the Balkans: Building Europe Through Town-Twinning and Civil Society Networking” was organized by the Association of Local Democracy Agencies (ALDA) in Holiday Inn Hotel, Skopje on 4th December, 2009. The aim of the conference was to gather local authorities and civil society representatives from Europe and the Balkans to discuss the contribution of town-twinning and civil society networking to the European integration process and the building of a European identity. The conference was attended by around 60 representatives of civil society and municipalities from Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Macedonia, France, and the United States. BCSDN member Pandeli Theodhori and BCSDN Executive Office volunteer Jeffrey Treisbach were also in attendance. |
EXCHANGE OF EXPERIENCE
NETWORKING IN EUROPE AND THE BALKANS: PRESENTATION OF BCSDN AT 6TH ASSEMBLY OF FENS, BELGRADE, SERBIA, 17TH OCTOBER, 2009
The sixth annual assembly of the Federation of Non-governmental Organizations in Serbia (FENS) was held on the 17th and 18th of October 2009 in the Sava center in Belgrade. There were around 200 representatives of civil society organizations participating at the Assembly, guests from the Government of Serbia – Bozidar Gelic, vice-president of government for EU and Milan Markovic, Minister for state government and local government (MSGLG), international organizations with their seat in Belgrade and Miljenko Dereta, Executive Director of Civic Initiatives, Co-president of FENS and Member of BCSDN Board. |
ADVOCACY
POLICY PAPER ON THE EU CIVIL SOCIETY FACILITY NOW AVAILABLE IN FIVE LANGUAGES!
Our policy paper, “The Successes and Failures of the EU-Pre-accession Policy in the Balkans: Support to Civil Society,” which was first presented at The Right to Be Heard: EU Enlargment Policy and Civil Society in Western Balkans workshop held in Brussels on 10th September is now available in English and four local languages: Albanian, Croatian, Macedonian and Serbian. Other local language translations will follow soon. |
INITIATIVE
LOCAL CSOs INITIATE REGIONAL NETWORK ON CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
The regional conference “Development of Corporate Social Responsibility – Examples of Good Practice” was organized by Center for Development of NGOS (CRNVO), a BCSDN member in Hotel Crna Gora, Podgorica on 2nd and 3rd November, 2009. The aim of the conference was to bring together representatives of civil society, business sector and governments to discuss the current state of and practices in corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the region and identify ways for regional cooperation. The conference was attended by over 50 representatives of civil society, business and government sector from Montenegro and the region. Several BCSDN member organizations (CNVOS, CPCS, CRNVO, KCSF and MCIC) and BCSDN Executive Director, Tanja Hafner Ademi participated in the conference. The 2nd day of the conference featured a regional meeting of organizations during which an initiative for a regional network on CSR was launched.
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CONFERENCE
STRENGTENING THE TRIANGLE CSOs-NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS-EUROPEAN COMMISSION: REINFORCING THE EUROPE-WIDE CIVIL SOCIETY AND BUILDING PARTNERSHIP, 19th-20th OCTOBER, 2009, ZADAR, CROATIA
Tanja Hafner Ademi (BCSDN Executive Director) along with representatives of eight member organizations (CRNVO, CI, MCIC, Cenzura, CNVOS, Vesta, CPCS, and KCSF) attended the annual review conference on the progress on civil dialogue in the Western Balkans and Turkey. The eight members contributed to the annual report on the state of civil dialogue in their countries. |
REPORT
THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD: THE EU ENLARGMENT POLICY AND CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE WESTERN BALKANS WORKSHOP
Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN) in partnership with APRODEV organized a workshop under the title “The Right to Be Heard: The EU Enlargement Policy and Civil Society in the Western Balkans”. The workshop took place on 10th September, 2009 in Brussels. It was attended by 42 representatives of local CSOs from the Balkan region, European Commission, European Parliament, EU networks, as well as national governments and inter-governmental organizations from the region. |
MEETING
15 EUROPEAN VOLUNTARY SECTOR UMBRELLA ORGANIZATIONS COME TOGETHER TO FORM A EUROPEAN NETWORK OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS (ENNA)
Tina Michieli, Deputy-Chairperson of the BCSDN Board and Tanja Hafner Ademi, Executive Director participated to the meeting of 15 European voluntary sector umbrella organisations. For the first time ever, the organizations have come together on 22nd and 23rd July in Brussels to discuss a range of issues affecting voluntary organisations across the European Union. Spearheaded by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) from UK, organisations from Austria, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Northern Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland and Slovenia were represented at the meeting of the European Network of National Associations (ENNA). Center for Information Service, Cooperation and Development of NGOs (CNVOS) from Slovenia, organization with membership status in BCSDN is an active member of ENNA |
FORMALIZATION
A HISTORIC STEP - BCSDN HOLDS ITS FOUNDING ASSEMBLY
On 6th July, the Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN) held its Founding Assembly in Skopje, Macedonia. After 8 years since being initiated as a pilot project and over 5 years of its transformation to a network, BCSDN became a formal legal entity with 11 founders - CSOs. Among the main acts adopted were the Statute and the Strategic Orientation 2009-2011. Main organs elected were the Council, the Board and the Executive Director.
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Elections to the European Parliament 2009 Manifesto
DO NOT FORGET THE FUTURE EUROPEAN CITIZENS!
In the run-up to the elections for the European Parliament taking place between 4th and 7th June, BCSDN is calling on the new Parliament and the new Commission to not forget the future European citizens once they take office. The manifesto calls on: |
CONFERENCE
BOTTOM-UP OR TOP DOWN: HOW TO MOVE EURO-ATLANTIC INTEGRATION FORWARD IN THE MINDS OF THE PEOPLE IN THE WESTERN BALKANS
BCSDN Coordinator, Tanja Hafner Ademi participated to a regional workshop “Bottom-up or Top Down: How to Move Euro Atlantic Integrations Forward in the Minds of the People in the Western Balkans?” which took place in Skopje, 26th-28th May, 2009. The workshop which brought together representatives of governments, international organizations think-thanks and CSOs from the region tried to examine the current perceptions on human security challenges in the region and devising ways to overcome them by way of promoting regional civil society cooperation through promotion of successful institutional models. |
EU
REAL APPLICATION OF THE IPA PARTNERSHIP PRINCIPLE UNDER QUESTION
Today, 23rd Janaury, Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN) has submitted a letter to the European Commission based on consultation process for the new IPA Civil Society Facility projects for 2009, which is closing today. The letter notes that "While engagement with the EC Delegations in the region is improving in the direction of timely, regular consultation process, these cannot be said for the involvement of local networks and CSOs in the EU multi-beneficiary/regional policy, programming, monitoring and evaluation process." |
BCSDN Survey
WEEKLY E-MAIL ALERTS & WEBSITE RESULTS 2008
The survey results on the Weekly E-mail Alerts (WEA) confirms the findings of BCSDN web survey in 2005 and External Evaluation 2004-2007 conducted in 2007 which found this information service as the most useful instrument among members and partner organizations. The overall majority of the respondents appreciates and finds them relevant and useful.
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WORKSHOP
LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER: PARTNERS INPUT INTO STRATEGIC ORIENTATIONS OF BCSDN
The strategic workshop under the title “Learning from Each Other: Partners Input into Strategic Orientations of BCSDN” took place on 12th and 13th September, 2008 in Kotor, Montenegro. The workshop was organized and hosted in partnership with Center for Development of NGOs (CRNVO) from Montenegro and facilitated by Stevo Muk from Institute Alternativa. It was attended by 16 representatives of member and partner organizations from the region and from Brussels. |
EU
CIVIL SOCIETY UNHAPPY WITH THE CONSULTATION AND SUPPORT BY EU SO FAR
Since end of April, the European Commission and respective Delegations have launched consultation process for projects planned under the IPA Component I for 2008 aimed at transitional assistance and institution building in Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as on the regional level (all IPA countries). |
5TH STEERING GROUP MEETING
EXPANDING AND MATURING REGIONAL NETWORK OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE BALKANS
The 5th BCSDN Steering Group Meeting took place on 1 April, 2008 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The meeting was hosted and chaired by member organization-CNVOS. The meeting was attended by 6 members and 2 organizations that became members of the network (see list of participants in Annex 2). Six partners (OAR, AIDRom, WAD, Pokrov Foundation, EOS and EHO) did not participate due to other commitments. The meeting was organized on the margins of the conference “Giving a stronger voice to civil society in the EU neighbourhood” organized under the Slovenian EU Presidency and aimed at reviewing network activities in 2007 and discuss steps to defining the future of the network. |
Report
BCSDN ANNUAL REPORT 2007
Balkan Civil Society Development Network is proud to present its Annual Report 2007. The Annual Report covers all activities implemented in 2007 among them 2 training activities (training on media and civil dialogue), 1 exchange activity (small grant support to 6 exchange projects), 2 consultancy (on-the-job training and help-desk), 5 information-sharing activities (website, project-partner database, Weekly e-mail alerts, Newsletter, mailing list), 3 publications (Balkan Civic Practices no. 3-5) and 2 coordination activities (operational support to the implementation of the Programme, Steering Group meeting). The full narrative report is available here. The financial report is curently being audited by KPMG and will be available after an audit opinion is issued by the company.
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publication
THE 5TH EDITION OF BALKAN CIVIC PRACTICES: GUIDE TO CIVIL DIALOGUE IN THE BALKANS
The newest edition of Balkan Civic Practices carries the title “Guide to Civil Dialogue in the Balkans.” In 2000, the European Commission underlined the importance of cooperation of CSOs the Commission and the national governments in its communication “The Commission and NGOs: building a stronger partnership” in which it stated that NGOs can make an important contribution to the development of democracy and civil society in the candidate countries. This edition of Balkan Civic Practices for the first time explores the setting (legal and practices) of civil dialogue in Western Balkan countries. It also presents the experience in civil dialogue in Slovenia as a New Member State of the EU with relevant lesson learned for other acceding and candidate countries. |
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