How will Civil Society Organisations survive Croatia accession to EU

24. January 2013.

In conditions of pan-European economic crisis afflicting the entire European Union, European Social Fund represents a particularly valuable source of funding for the programs that contribute to mitigation of negative consequences and provision of new opportunities to the particularly vulnerable social groups in the field of employment, education, social welfare etc

In order to reduce developmental differences between member states of the EU and European regions, Republic of Croatia will also be able, after joining the EU on 1 July 2013, to use resources from this Fund. Subsequently, in the second half of the year 2012 alone Croatia will attain access to 60 million euros.

However, in view of experiences concerning preparation and planning of priorities in Croatia thus far, there are concerns about the methods of defining and the quality of proposed projects, which should be based upon actual needs related to employment, education and social protection of most vulnerable groups and development of social services in the community.

CSOs are actually the ones providing such support and they have proven their abilities to go through procedures of obtaining EU funding, as indicated by the 99% absorption of pre-accession funds. Moreover, CSOs contribute to democratization, protection of human rights and strengthening of the rule of law; but also to the state budget – according to the data published by the Ministry of Finance, in 2010 CSOs employed 17 724 persons, whereas in 2011 this number has increased to 18 667 persons, which amounts to over five per cent growth.

 After issuing an open letter „Will civil society survive Croatia's accession to the EU?“ in which CSOs requested to be involved into decision-making process concerning European Structural Fund in Croatia, their representatives have been selected through the Council for Civil Society Development to join seven Thematic Working Groups for preparation of program documents for Structural and Cohesion Funds, which started with work on 10 December 2012.

In order to ensure cooperation between CSOs and state administration bodies, while planning European Structural Fund priorities, we request that:

1. Civil society development is defined as a separate and general priority within each operational program.

2. CSOs are included as project partners and beneficiaries within operational program priorities of all state administration bodies.

3. Within activities of the Thematic Working Groups special emphasis should be placed on areas of employment and public administration reform.

4. Grant schemes are provided for both macro and micro projects of CSOs through the Office for Cooperation with NGOs and other state administration bodies.

5. Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds and the Ministry of Finance should provide adequate funds for pre-financing of non-profit organisations' projects in the amount of at least 50% of the total project amount, to be paid upon signature of the contract.

 

This event was held on 24 January and it is supported by TACSO Croatia Office.

 

These requests have been supported by the following civil society organizations:

 

1. Academus

2. Centar za mir, nenasilje i ljudska prava Osijek

3. Hrvatski institut za lokalnu samoupravu (HILS)

4. Društvo za psihološku pomoć

5. Autonomni centar - ACT

6. DEŠA - Dubrovnik

7. Riječki sportski savez

8. Udruga malih sirara Osječko-baranjske županije Siros

9. Hrvatska gorska služba spašavanja

10. GONG

11. Zelena akcija

12. Savez udruga Klubtura

13. Institut za demokraciju IDEMO

14. Ženska udruga "Izvor"

15. Srpski demokratski forum SDF

16. Pokreni ideju – Udruga za promicanje socijalnih inovacija (Hub Zagreb inicijativa)

17. LAG Sumaniovći

18. Hrvatska udruga za školovanje pasa vodiča i mobilitet

19. Udruga invalida rada Vukovar

20. CEDEPE - Društvo osoba s cerebralnom i dječjom paralizom Zagreb

21. Centar za socijalnu inkluziju Šibenik

22. Udruga za promicanje ljudskih prava i medijskih sloboda "Cenzura plus"

23. Mirovna grupa Oaza Beli Manastir

24. Hrvatski pravni centar

25. Hrvatski crveni križ

26. Centar za edukaciju i informiranje potrošača

27. Partnerstvo za društveni razvoj

28. Centar za žene žrtve rata ROSA

29. Udruga za promicanje projektne kulture “EU klub”

30. Udruženje stanara grada Osijeka

31. Razvojna agencija Sjever

32. Mreža mladih Hrvatske

33. Udruga invalida rada Vukovar

34. Strukovna udruga za promicanje dobrobiti djece „Portić“

35. Organizacija za građanske inicijative OGI

36. Transparency International Hrvatska

37. Centar za građanske inicijative Poreč

38. Udruga DOOR

39. Građanska organizacija razvoja društva -GORD

40. HOMO Udruga za zaštitu ljudskih prava i građanskih sloboda Pula

41. Centar za razvoj demokracije – CERD, Split

42. Udruga žena Vukovar

43. Udruga žena Romkinja " Romsko srce"

44. Udruga „IZVOR“

45. Udruga za prevenciju socijalno-patološkog ponašanja mladih "PREVENCIJA"

46. Forum za slobodu odgoja

47. Centar za mirovne studije

48. Zelena Istra

49. CESI – Centar za edukaciju, savjetovanje i istraživanje

50. „Projekt građanskih prava“ Sisak

51. Udruga za nezavisnu medijsku kulturu

52. Udruženje BARANJA

53. Zagreb PRIDE

54. Moslavina media servis

55. UP – Udruga za društveni razvoj

56. Udruga za promicanje istih mogućnosti UPIM

57. Hrvatsko debatno društvo

58. SUSH – Savez udruga stanara Hrvatske

59. B.a.b.e.

60. Dalmatinski odbor solidarnosti

61. Udruga za samozastupanje

62. Volonterski centar Zagreb

63. Documenta

64. Kuća ljudskih prava

65. Volonterski centar Osijek

66. Udruga Franjo Košćec

67. Udruga roditelja djece s posebnim potrebama ''Put u život''- PUŽ

68. Eko Pan

69. Sjaj - udruga za društvenu afirmaciju osoba s duševnim smetnjama

70. Udruga Mobbing

71. Ekološka udruga "Krka" Knin

72. Udruga za promicanje ljudskih prava i medijskih sloboda Cenzura Plus

73. Eko - Zadar

74. Zeleni Osijek

75. Koordinacija udruga za djecu

76. Udrugu za prirodu, okoliš i održivi razvoj Sunce

77. Brodsko ekološko društvo-BED

78. DIM - Udruga za građansko obrazovanje i društveni razvoj

79. Roda - Roditelji u akciji

80. Ženska soba - Centar za seksualna prava

81. Centar za podršku i razvoj civilnog društva "DELFIN" Pakrac

82. Udruga Nobilis

83. Fade In

84. Udruga za promicanje kultura Kulturtreger

85. Kurziv - Platforma za pitanja kulture, medija i društva

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