The European Recovery Package, which provides grants and loans of 750 billion EUR to Member States, aims to help repair the economic and social damage brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, and engage the European Union in a long-term, sustainable and inclusive recovery that promotes the green and digital transitions.
The European Economic and Social Committee resolution from 25 February 2021 also calls on national governments to consult with civil society in NRRPs: “Involvement of Organised Civil Society in the National Recovery and Resilience Plans – What works and what does not?”
EU Member States will have to present their National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs) by 30 April 2021. Together with Civil Society Europe, ECNL explored the participation of CSOs in this process. Our report aims to:
- inform CSOs about involvement in the preparation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans;
- create dialogue with key institutional actors regrading strengthening CSOs involvement;
- develop recommendations to the EU institutions, national and regional authorities and CSOs themselves, on how to improve CSOs engagement throughout the whole process
The report highlights the following, worrisome findings:
- poor quality consultation with CSOs;
- failure to use existing consultation practices;
- uncertain procedures, which are not transparent;
- late-stage consultations;
- limited inter-ministerial involvement;
- concerns over the content of the plans;
- lack of clarity over the role of civil society as implementing partners and beneficiaries.
EU citizens through their national and regional organisations must have a say on how EU recovery funds are spent and on the long-term reforms that are being developed.
In the Report we call on stakeholders on both national, regional and EU- level to improve civil society's engagement and provide recommendations to act on. We call on Member States and regional bodies to:
- ensure adequate CSOs engagement including through capacity building and funding;
- involve CSOs across the whole programme cycle of NRRPs;
- include social, environmental and gender considerations in a transversal way, in both reforms and investments.
European Commission to:
- reject plans that have not demonstrated a clear consultation process involving all relevant CSOs;
- ensure coherence with the partnership principle and respect for all other EU funding requirements and commitments, through rigorous monitoring;
- involve CSOs in the assessment of the NRRPs.
European Parliament to:
- organise regular hearings involving CSOs to discuss the implementation of the NRRPs.
Council of the European Union to:
- promote exchanges of good practices about CSOs engagement across Member States.
Civil Society to:
- develop alliances with CSOs from other sectors;
- develop a portfolio of reforms and projects to be supported by the NRRPs;
- assess the plans and monitor their implementation in a continuous way.
The Report and Guidance Note were written by Valentina Caimi and Fintan Farrell (LinkinEurope) with support from the Task Force on National Recovery and Resilience Plans in Civil Society Europe and inputs from a broad range of civil society actors. They were prepared for Civil Society Europe (CSE) in cooperation with ECNL and with funding by ICNL.