[oberlist] MD* call: 5th meeting of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (4-5 October 2013, Chisinau

[ober at emdash.org]

http://www.eap-csf.eu/en/news-events/news/invitation-to-apply-for-participation-in-the-fifth-meeting-of-the-eastern-partnership-civil-society-forum-taking-place-on4-5-october-2013-chisinau-republic-of-moldova/

Invitation to submit expressions of interest
to participate in the fifth meeting of the Eastern Partnership
Civil Society Forum (4-5 October 2013, Chisinau, The Republic of Moldova)


The Eastern Partnership Summit in Prague on 7 May 2009 confirmed the
European Commission proposal from December 2008 to establish the Eastern
Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) “to promote contacts among Civil
Society Organisations (CSOs) and facilitate their dialogue with public
authorities” in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of
Moldova, and Ukraine. The summit invited the European Commission “to
develop and propose modalities for the establishment of a Civil Society
Forum of the Eastern Partnership”.

As outlined in the Joint Declaration of the Warsaw Eastern Partnership
Summit, Warsaw, 29-30 September 2011, “the Eastern Partnership Civil
Society Forum and its National Platforms are essential to promote
democratic values on which the Eastern Partnership is based. The Forum’s
involvement in the implementation of the Eastern Partnership should be
strengthened, including through reinforced capacity and enhanced
participation in the Eastern Partnership multilateral track.”

In the run up to the first meeting of the Forum, the European Commission
consulted the modalities of the Forum with all interested stakeholders.
The consulted parties favoured a comprehensive approach allowing for the
participation of a wide range of CSOs: trade unions, employers'
organisations, professional associations, NGOs, think-tanks, non-profit
foundations, national and international CSOs/networks, and other relevant
Civil Society actors from EaP Partner Countries, but also from EU Member
States and international organisations/networks.

The first EaP CSF took place in Brussels on 16-17 November 2009 and
gathered more than 200 CSOs. During the Forum, participants elected the
CSF Steering Committee and tasked it with the responsibility of developing
a procedure for selection of the participants for the next Forum. The CSF
Steering Committee elaborated the procedure that was applied in the
process of selection of the participants to the second meeting of the EaP
CSF, which was held in Berlin on 18-19 November 2010, and to the third
meeting held in Poznan on 28-30 November 2011 as well as to the fourth
meeting held in Stockholm on 29-30 November 2012. The fifth meeting of the
EaP CSF will take place in Chisinau, Moldova on 4-5 October 2013.

The procedure for selection can be found below, duly updated in line with 
the need for more explicit criteria to be shared with applicants to ensure
the transparency of the process.

The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum was initiated in May 2009 in
Prague, Czech Republic, and brings together civil society actors working
at national and international level to hold the EU and the Partner
countries accountable to the commitments made in the joint declaration of
the Prague Eastern Partnership summit, signed on 7 May 2009 by the EU and
six neighbouring countries. The Forum and its organs (national platforms,
thematic working groups, and the Steering Committee) work to support civil
society organisations in their efforts to strengthen the diversity and
plurality of public discourse and policymaking, by holding governments and
public authorities to account, and by protecting and promoting human
rights, fundamental freedoms, participatory democracy, market economy,
sustainable development, and good governance.

The Forum works closely with the European Commission, the European
External Action Service (EEAS), EU member governments, European Parliament
and other EU institutions, and engages with Partner countries'
governments, to:

•	facilitate a roadmap for democratic transition in the Partner countries
•	monitor developments in EU relations with the Partner countries
•	promote the results and activities of civil society projects, and the
participation of civil society actors to contribute to effective public
policy outcomes
•	foster the engagement of independent civil society expertise in the work
of the expert panels/thematic platforms.


The Steering Committee of the EaP Civil Society Forum is now inviting all
interested parties to submit expressions of interest to participate in the
fifth meeting of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum. The
submission of expressions of interest is a necessary step in the selection
process to participate in the EaP CSF meeting in Moldova in 2013.

The meeting has been made possible thanks to the support of the European
Commission/European External Action Service, the support of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova and the support of the
Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


The application form prepared by the CSF Steering Committee can be found
on the CSF website - www.eap-csf.eu

Submissions of expressions of interest (see application form attached)
should be completed in English or Russian and sent before midnight CET, 19
May 2013, to the contact e-mail address: applications at eap-csf.eu

Any questions concerning the call for application should be sent to
info at eap-csf.eu

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

The European Commission/European External Action Service will be able to
fund the travel and hotel accommodation during the Forum meeting only for
the selected CSOs. It will be possible for the EC/EEAS to cover the travel
and accommodation of up to 180 CSOs – a maximum of 130 from the EaP
countries and a maximum of 50 from EU member states.


THE PROCEDURE FOR THE SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS TO THE FIFTH MEETING OF
THE EaP CSF:

The Civil Society Forum is open to a wide range of CSOs: trade unions,
employers' organisations, professional associations, NGOs, think-tanks,
non-profit foundations, chambers of commerce, business associations,
national and international CSOs/networks and other relevant Civil Society
actors from EaP area, but also from EU Member States and international
organisations/networks. Up to 15 CSOs from third countries can participate
in the EaP CSF as observers. It should be noted that the European
Commission does not cover costs of the participation of observers in the
Forum's activities.

All CSOs fitting within the above description are eligible to apply for
participation.

The selection of the participants to the EaP CSF 2013 will be carried out
by the CSF Steering Committee. The selection procedure will be twofold:

I. Preparation of three shortlists:

(1)	 By EaP Country Facilitators elected by the CSF in 2012 and supported
by CSF national platforms. In the case of CSOs from EU Member States and
international organisations/networks as well as CSOs from third countries,
the shortlist is prepared by the three EU co-ordinators elected by the CSF
in 2012.

(2)	 By the thematic working group coordinators elected by the CSF in 2012.

(3)	 By EU delegations in the six EaP countries.

Shortlists are prepared on the basis of the following criteria:
•	Eligibility: applicants must be independent, non-governmental,
non-partisan (not institutionally affiliated to a political party)
organisations that respect democratic values. They should also be bona
fide, independent organisations in their own right.

•	Diversity of spheres of activity (it is crucial to ensure the
involvement of all the major components of civil society and at the same
time to ensure adequate representation for each of the thematic working
groups and subgroups).

•	Involvement in ENP/EaP-related matters

•	Rotation, whereby eligible, independent CSOs that have not participated
in previous Forum annual events are given preference over those that have
been represented in previous Forum meetings.

•	 Involvement in the activities of previous Civil Society Fora and/or
intention and capacity to contribute to the work of the CSF in 2013/2014.


II. The final decision is made by the CSF Steering Committee members from
the shortlisted organisations on the basis of the following criteria:
•	Eligibility: applicants must be independent, non-governmental,
non-partisan (not institutionally affiliated to a political party)
organisations that respect democratic values. They should also be bona
fide, independent organisations in their own right.

•	Diversity of spheres of activity (it is crucial to ensure the
involvement of all the major components of civil society and at the same
time to ensure adequate representation for each of the thematic working
groups and subgroups).

•	Balance in numbers in each working group between EU participants and EaP
participants.

•	Involvement in ENP/EaP-related matters.

•	Country (a minimum of 10% participants from each EaP country and a
minimum of 25% from the EU).

•	Participation in the previous Forum (with a minimum 40% of new
participants and up to a maximum 60% of those who participated in the CSF
meeting in 2012) insofar as the number of new applications is high enough
to make this formula possible. The formula applies primarily to each
country list and to the EU participants, but will also be applied as far
as possible in the respective working group allocations.

•	Contribution to the work of the Civil Society Forum in 2012/2013 and/or
intention and capacity to contribute to the work of the CSF in 2013/2014.

The final list of CSOs invited to participate to the Eastern Partnership
Civil Society Forum prepared by the CSF Steering Committee will be
consulted with the European External Action Service/European Commission.



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Oberliht, Young Artists Association
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