ENPI Project: Towards a People’s Partnership

Implemented by Eurostep in association with Aprodev, Oxfam Novib, Acsur &

Womnet

Project objectives• Overall objective

– Ensure EC’s cooperation with its neighbours reflects the people’s aspiration in the region; specifically in the context of the mid term review of EC assistance

• Specific objectives – Capacity building: increase the knowledge &

monotoring skills of CSOs on ENP/ENPI issues– Advocacy: bring recommendations of CSOs on

ENP/ENPI issues to the EU

Means

• Promotion of CSO involvement in EC assistance processes– Improve the understanding of how EC assistance

works, and how to influence it

• Promotion of budget monitoring activities– Improve the understanding of how budget support

by EC to the government works, and how to monitor it

Why this project?Why is CS not involved? • Decisions on ENP/ENPI priorities are made by few individuals in

the EU and the neighbouring government.

• EU policies & financing agreements are complex difficult for civil society actors to participate.

Why should CS get involved? • EU & neighbouring governments have committed to ensure

transparency and broad participation of civil society actors.

• ENP/ENPI impact on national policies and overall development.

Project activities

• Preparatory workshop in Brussels (March 2008).

• National workshops: Morocco, Egypt, Palestine, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova (April - September)

• Final conference in Brussels(October/November)

Mid term review of CSPs (2009)

Aim of preparatory workshop

• Ensure the understanding of the EC policies/ programming

• Identify and prepare the political & practical issues to be addressed in the national workshops

• Define a shared methodology for the national workshops and a common advocacy strategy

Aim of national workshops

• Capacity bulding: 1. ENP & the functioning mechanism of the ENPI.2. Budget support within the ENPI & how to monitor government

budget.3. Build CSO coalitions.4. Opportunities for civil society actors to influence the ENP/ENPI.5. Suggested strategies to enhance their impact on these policies.

• Advocacy:1. Concrete recommendations on CSP’s priorities.2. Define common ”national” advocacy strategy

Means• Capacity:

– Ensure broad & differentiated representation of civil society.– Collect reactions from local CSOs on EC policies in the

country.– Collect experiences from CSOs on participation in

progamming process/relation to EU representatives.

• Advocacy:– Analyse and discuss critically the CSP-IPs. – Prepare concrete recommendations on the CSPs-IPs– Identify relevant deadlines and targets– Identify the opportunities & obstacles in working with:

Government, delegation, EC in Brussels?

Outcome

• Better understanding of ENP/ENPI processes by CSOs

• Concrete recommendations to EU’s policies towards the country – target focus: Mid term review of CSPs.

• Effective advocacy strategy on how to impact EU policies – to be acted on in the country and in Brussels.

Targets• National government (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of

Finance, European integration Departments etc.).

• National parliament.

• Cooperation committees & monitoring subcommittees.

• EC Delegation, Member States embassies.

• European Commission in Brussels (DG RELEX, EuropAid).

• European Parliament.

Thank you for your attention.

Marie Skov Madsen

Policy Adviser: European Neighbourhood Policy

Eurostep

mskov@eurostep.org

www.eurostep.org