The main highlights of this year’s meeting were:
– CNVOS, Slovenia, organization that is a partner in EU N2N project, became officially the member of the network;
– CENZURA which has merged with NIT, Croatia, has been confirmed as its successor in the network;
– due to absence on three consecutive meetings, WAWY membership is can¬cel¬led automatically
Up-coming activities
– on-the-job training possibilities for 1 month stay at ECAS office, Brussels;
– training on civic dialogue (4-6 July Serbia; 11-13 July Albania);
– help-desk service (to be operational from summer);
– regular information activities (website, partner-project database, weekly e-mail alerts)
Evaluation
– evaluation mission of the programme, lead by John Beauclerk from INTRAC, will take place between 5-13 July. Members will be contacted by the Secretariat on their availability to give their feedback.
As this is the final year of the current programme some basic steps on network’s future were agreed:
– minimum activities would present: maintenance of the Secretariat (? staff, website, newsletter, weekly e-mail alerts) and one capacity-building activity per year (to be fundraised upon);
– additional fundraising (Belgrade- and Brussels-based foundations) and membership (inclusion of organizations from BiH, Kosovo and other interested organizations) activities;
– closing event for the N2N project (end of 2007/beginning of 2008) would be the 2nd event where the issued on the future of the network would be discussed;
– evaluation will form the basis for future definition of institutional (membership, secretariat, registration) and operational (based on funding, min vs. optimum scenario) framework of the network;
– based on CRNVO proposal, a Working Group of interested organizations will draft format and coordinate the development of reports for interested countries on the issue of country situation with regards to EU and CSOs in the Western Balkans. CNVOS supported the idea to organize a conference in the framework of Slovenian EU presidency – beginning of the next year in Ljubljana (this could be linked to N2N closing event). The Secretariat will soon contact interested organization to start preparation;
– the next step to define the future will be the next year’s SG meeting. CRNVO accepted the initiative for the next SG meeting to take place in spring-summer 2008 in Montenegro (depending of N2N closing event).
More details on the meeting are available in the full text of the minutes.