Engaging with Civil Society in the European Neighbourhood

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From 1 to 3 April 2014, the EuropeAid Unit for Civil Society and Local Authorities organised a seminar focusing on engaging with civil society in the Southern and Eastern Neighbourhood. The purpose was to increase understanding on how the EU can use analysis, policy dialogue and operational support to be as relevant and effective as possible in its engagement with civil society in the Neighbourhood.

The seminar was organised three years after the events associated with the Arab Spring and in the context of major social and political challenges in both East and South regions. The seminar offered in this context an opportunity to stake stock of the current exercise to develop EU Country Roadmaps for Civil Society Engagement in each of the partner countries. In short, there was no shortage of issues to discuss.

The seminar was organised in close collaboration with DEVCO B1, DEVCO C, DEVCO F and the EEAS. It brought together participants from virtually all EU Delegations in the Neighbourhood plus Russia, several representatives from EU Member States, headquarter staff from EC and EEAS as well as local and international experts.

The seminar was facilitated by the European Center for Development Policy Management and included presentations from civil society actors, the European Centre for Not-For-Profit Law, DG ELARG, the Roadmap Facility, the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum and others.

Despite many differences between the East and the South, participants quickly agreed that countries in both regions share many similar features and that delegations face many of the same challenges including complex transitional questions.

Participants exchanged experience on how to foster an enabling environment and how to promote civil society mainstreaming focusing on the justice sector and private sector development.   In this context, the EU country roadmap was widely seen as strategic tool that can help with constructing real functional partnerships around a clearer vision and set of shared priorities between civil society and the EU.

EuropeAid will be organising additional seminars for staff in Delegations focusing on the Roadmap process and separate one-day seminars on capacity development of civil society organisations.