On 11th March, 2015, the European Parliament has adopted Resolutions on the European Commission’s Progress reports on Kosovo, Macedonia,Montenegro and Serbia for 2014, calling governments in all four countries for improved involvement of the civil society in the law and policy-making process. The EP Resolutions, similarly to the Commission’s latest 2014-2015 Enlargement strategy and Progress Reports, puts the biggest focus on the need for improved CSO-government dialogue and greater involvement of civil society in the reform processes of the countries. In addition, some key issues related to the enabling environment on civil society noted in our own monitoring reports have been particularly addressed, as in the case with the Montenegro Resolution.
With the Resolution on Kosovo, the EP calls the Kosovar Government to strengthen their mechanisms for consultation of civil society, “which has so far been conducted on an ad hoc basis” and urges CSO representatives to be included in the legislative process.
For Macedonia, the EP expresses regrets for the lack of government cooperation with CSOs and public stakeholders in lawmaking in Macedonia, and specifically pointing to the need for constructive dialogue and building consensus over the constitutional changes. The EP calls on the Government to help develop civil society in rural areas as well; to include CSOs in the process of implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement; and to improve cooperation with CSOs in the area of environment. It further calls for more involvement of professional and civil society organizations in monitoring judicial independence, and encourages independent CSOs and media to expose corruption and champion independent and impartial investigations and trials.
The EP Resolution on Montenegro notes the recent efforts to improve consultation mechanisms with CSO and invites “the competent authorities to further develop sustainable public funding for CSOs and an appropriate institutional framework” as well as “to adjust the legal framework and practices in order to protect civil society activists against attacks and hatred reportedly propagated in certain newspapers, and build a climate in which they can work without fear or reprisal”. The EP stresses concerns “that attacks on LGBTI community members and activists are continuing” and calls for “more structured cooperation with civil society in the area of women’s rights and gender equality”.
With the Resolution on Serbia’s progress for 2014, the EP has raised concerns that the majority of laws in Serbia are adopted under the urgency procedure, not allowing sufficient consultation of stakeholders. The EP has called for greater involvement of civil society in the integration process, urging the government to refrain from anti-EU rhetoric and to conduct regular dialogues and public consultations with all relevant stakeholders so as to ensure full transparency of the negotiation process.
The EP Resolutions, similarly to the Commission’s latest 2014-2015 Enlargement strategy and Progress Reports, puts the biggest focus on the need for improved CSO-government dialogue and greater involvement of civil society in the reform processes of the countries. In addition, some key issues related to the enabling environment on civil society noted in our ownmonitoring reports have been particularly addressed, as in the case with the Montenegro Resolution.
The Resolutions will be taken into consideration by the Council at the next Council meeting in June 2015.