Development of Czech civil society and European integration

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Development of Czech civil society and European
integration
26th october 2006

• Marek Gajdo
• Civil Society Development Foundation
• Nadace rozvoje obcanské spolecnosti

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• NGO sector is only one part of organized civil
  society

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Civil Society on European level

• NGOs versus CSOs (civil society organizations)
• No single European definition
• Wider inclusive approach of the EU
• In Czech Republic NGOs versus associations,
  cooperatives, trade unions, chambers

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The Role of NGOs in the EU

• Bearers of projects and recipients of the EU
  grants
• Extended hand of the European Commission
• Bearers of ideas
• Consultations (EU constitution)
• Structured dialogue (European networks)
• Creation of European demos, filling in of
  democratic deficit
• Beginning on national level

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The Role of NGOs in the EU

• The situation of the Czech NGOs after the
  accession
• Only first role (projects)
• misunderstanding both NGOs and state
• After EU accesion learning by doing

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The Role of NGOs in the EU

• Resource centres ?
• Social services providers ?
• Advocacy and watchdog NGOs ??
• Hobby clubs, associations ??
• division between new and old NGOs
• growing importance of networking

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Levels of potential participation of czech NGOs

• Practical level (projects)
• Personal contacts
• Academic level
• Information level
• Monitoring level

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Barriers of czech NGOs in EU

• Narrowed view of European integration Lack of
  information (except of grants)
• Language barrier
• Lack of contacts
• Remaining unsolved problems

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Potential contribution of czech NGOs in EU

• Higher effectiveness
• Know-how, procedures, experience
• Improvisation
• High level of adaptability
• Czech NGOs percived by European NGOs
• Desired partner
• Competitors

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Reality of NGOs after accession

• Big NGOs (experienced and rich)
• Ability to write projects
• Professional staff
• Material, technical and HR background
• Small NGOs (mostly in the area of social
  services)
• Independent on the EU funds
• Exploitation of local sources
• Volunteering
• Potential partners of big NGOs (also
  international)

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Impact on NGOs after accession

• The end of fat years, the beginning of fight for
  survival (end of big foundations in the Czech
  Republic, end of Phare funding)
• Disappearance of some types of NGOs
• resource centres, watchdogs a advocacy NGOs
• Increasing gap between small and big NGOs
• Growing professionalism of NGOs
• The second beginning of the creation of NGO
  sector in the Czech Republic healthier base

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EU Funds

• The main object of interest of czech NGOs
• No universal solution
• Exigence of appropriate level of NGO
• Implementation of EU politics and not support of
  NGOs
• Appeal to NGOs to identify themselves in the EU
  politics

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Problematic areas in the EU perspective

• Cooperation of czech NGOs (between themselves)
• Exchange of information, sharing of experience
• Cooperation on national level across fields,
  across sectors, regional,etc.
• II. Non-profit sector and public administration
• Negotiations
• lobbying, legislative procedures, consultations
• Cooperation with state and its representatives on
  European level (European MPs, representatives of
  ministries in working groups of The Council of
  the European Union, etc.)
• patnership and partners institutions  
• III. Czech NGOs and their position in EU
• Representation of their interest in Brussels
• integration into European professional networks
• other ways of promotion and representation of
  their interest in EU

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NGO and Public Partner institutions

• The Government Council for NGOs Committee for the
  cooperation with the EU
• Participation of NGOs in programming exercise for
  Structural funds
• Elections of NGOs representatives (monitoring
  committees, ECOSOC)
• Monitoring committees on national and regional
  level
• Working groups for Structural funds and EU
  programmes
• Representation of civil society in ECOSOC

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Advices or lessons learnt

• Avoid overdependence on EU funds
• Multiple sources of funding
• Use the EU stress on the civil society
• Focus on legislative changes and use the window
  of opportunity
• Create broader NGOs coordination platforms
• Speak as a non-profit sector and avoid
  atomization of individual NGOs

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• Marek Gajdo
• Marek.gajdos_at_nros.cz
• www.nros.cz