New approach in EU Accession Negotiations: Rule of Law Brussels, May 2013 Sandra Pernar Government of the Republic of Croatia Office for Cooperation with NGOs

EU – catalyst of creating an enabling environment for civil dialogue  Strategy and policy documents  Structures for supporting civil dialogue  Standards of consultation in policy making  Sustainable public funding of CSO programmes Office for cooperation with NGOs

National strategy - common platform  National Strategy for Creating an Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development and Operational Plan for Strategy Implementation  Broad consensus among civil society and government representatives about the strategic priorities in the period  More than 30 institutions involved in the implementation of measures  Annual reports on the Strategy implementation adopted by the Government Office for cooperation with NGOs

National Strategy  developed through consultation process of one year  different forms of including the interested public in the process: working groups public debates online consultation  all together over 200 CSO involved Office for cooperation with NGOs

National Strategy content  guidelines for the creation of an enabling environment for civil society development until 2016 in order to further improve the legal, financial and institutional system of support for the work of civil society organisations as important factors of social and economic development in the Republic of Croatia, and important stakeholders in shaping and implementing the European Union policies  defines the basic preconditions for further progress in the areas of institutional framework, participatory democracy, contributing to social and economic development, and working in the international context Office for cooperation with NGOs

Structures for supporting civil dialogue  Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs  Council for Civil Society Development – 2002  National Foundation for Civil Society Development – line ministries and agencies, local and regional authorities, regional NGO networks and foundations Office for cooperation with NGOs

Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs  Coordinating the work of public administration bodies on developing cooperation with NGOs  Improving standards of consultation with NGOs in public policy making processes  Monitoring the compliance with standards for the financing of NGOs from the state budget  EU project implementation unit – pre- accession funds to civil society  Contact Point for Europe for Citizens Community Programme in Croatia Office for cooperation with NGOs

Council for Civil Society Development  Consultative body of Croatian Government  Composition – 27 members  12 representatives of NGOs  12 representatives of State institutions  1 representative of trade unions  1 representative of employers association  1 representative of foundations Office for cooperation with NGOs

How the Council works?  Monthly meetings  Own initiative opinions and statements on draft laws, national programmes and plans regarding civil society development in the widest sense  President elected from among Council members (from NGO representatives)  Three Standing Working groups  Administrative and expert support provided by the Office for cooperation with NGOs  Role in programming priorities for EU funding Office for cooperation with NGOs

The National Foundation for Civil Society Development  Public foundation established by the Parliament  Operational grants, CSO capacity building, training, research, awareness- raising  Regional foundations – local community building  Regional CSO support networks Office for cooperation with NGOs

Increasing number of structures for civil dialogue  more than 200 Government advisory bodies involving around 800 representatives of CSOs  25 Parliament working committees involving more than 100 representatives of CSOs  Increasing number of local charters of cooperation between CSOs and local governments Office for cooperation with NGOs

Civil dialogue in the EU accession negotiations process  1876 members of working groups for accession negotiations  External members (outside public administration)  Trade unions, employers associations, NGOs, academic community, media, etc. Office for cooperation with NGOs

Standards of Consultation in Policy Making  Code of Practice on Consultation with the Interested Public in Procedures of Adopting Laws, Other Regulations and Acts  adopted by the Government on 21 November 2009  Guidelines for the implementation of the Code developed Office for cooperation with NGOs

Putting the consultation standards into practice  to ensure the harmonized application of the Code, consultation coordinators appointed in central state administration bodies and in the Government offices  trainings and education for appointed consultation coordinators and other state officials  amendment to the Government Rules of Procedure Office for cooperation with NGOs

Implementation of the Code on Consultation  In 2012: consultations for 144 laws, other regulations and acts (in 2011 – 48) 4786 written contributions by interested public to proposals of laws, other regulations and acts (in )  Website for consultation – from January 1 until April : information on 29 consultations Office for cooperation with NGOs

Sustainable funding of CSOs programmes and projects  Decentralised system of public funding - 20 public bodies providing funding for CSOs  Law on games of chance (2002) – 50% revenues from lottery for CSOs  Code of Good Practice, Standards and Benchmarks for the Allocation of Funding to Programs and Projects of CSOs – 2007  Transparency of funding – all data on grants awarded accessible through internet Office for cooperation with NGOs

EU support to civil dialogue  IPA 2009 Building Capacities of the CSOs for Monitoring and Advocacy in the Field of Democratization, Human Rights, Minority Integration and Sustainable Refugee Return in the Areas of Special State Concern (<1 MEUR)  IPA 2009: Building Capacities of CSOs for Implementing Innovative Social Service Delivery Programmes in the Areas of Special State Concern (<1 MEUR) Office for cooperation with NGOs

EU support to civil dialogue  IPA 2008 Developing Capacities of CSOs for Systematic Monitoring and Advocacy of Sustainable Development Policies and Integrated Approaches to Waste and Water Management, Transport, Energy Efficiency, Regional Development, Sustainable Use of Natural Resources (<1 MEUR)  IPA 2008 Enhancing the Participation of the CSOs in Monitoring of the Implementation of the EU Acquis in the Field of Fight Against Corruption and the Overall Transparency, Openness and Accountability of Public Administration Bodies (<1 MEUR)  IPA 2008 Enhancing the Capacities/Roles of the CSOs in Monitoring of the Implementation of the EU Acquis in Field of the Comprehensive Anti-discrimination Strategy (<1 MEUR) Office for cooperation with NGOs

EU support to civil dialogue PHARE 2006 Enabling the Civil Society Sector for Active Contribution in the Pre-accession Process - Grant Scheme in the area of: Democratization and Human Rights, Environmental Protection and Sustainable development, Youth Participation: overall 36 Actions in the sub-sectors of democratisation and human rights, environmental protection and sustainable development, and youth participation contracted (<3 MEUR) CARDS 2003/2004 Good Governance and Rule of Law grant scheme (1,2 MEUR); several projects under CARDS 2004 Grants to Civil Society Organizations Active in Environment and Sustainable Development and Social Services Delivery (2,7 MEUR) Office for cooperation with NGOs

Programme Europe for Citizens  Bringing together citizens of Croatia and EU member states through activities of cities and municipalities, civil society organizations, educational institutions and other non-profit organizations Office for cooperation with NGOs

Key challenges  Strategy - need for a strong policy coordination  Structures - Institutionalisation of civil dialogue - an incentive and not an obstacle for genuine, spontaneous civic engagement (structures are not substitute for real dialogue)  Standards – need for systematic capacity building of civil servants and promoting good practice examples  Sustainable funding – strict criteria for EU and national public funding of CSOs – danger of shifting focus from people/beneficiaries to papers Office for cooperation with NGOs

Contacts: Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs Office for cooperation with NGOs