On 17 April, ECNL presented preliminary findings and recommendations of the 2014 Monitoring Matrix Regional Report within the framework of the Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN) Annual Council Meeting held in Tirana, attended by all active members of BCSDN network. At the panel discussion, which was open to public, Ivana Rosenzweigová, ECNL gave an overview on the state of the enabling environment for CSDev in enlargement countries.
The 2014 Regional Report is organized around 8 sub-areas described through standards helping to assess the state of an enabling environment for civil society organizations in the Western Balkans and Turkey. The report focused on twelve core standards, while another twelve areas were addressed where it was deemed necessary. Regional Report 2014 reflects the adoption of the Guidelines of the EU for Support to Civil Society in Enlargement countries and includes and assessments vis-à-vis the Guidelines throughout the text.
The findings and recommendations for the region in 2014 are related mainly to the financial sustainability of CSOs and their cooperation with the government, which still remain scarce and inefficient. Also, the legal guarantees of the freedom of association and other related freedoms, such as freedom of assembly and freedom of expression are not always respected in practice. The final 2014 Monitoring Matrix Regional Report will be published and presented in Brussels in the first week of June 2015.
Monitoring Matrix on Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development Regional Report for 2014