- Published: 10.07.2015.
Held 12th meeting of the Council for Civil Society Development
Meeting of the Council for Development of Civil Society was held on Wednesday 8th July 2015 in the premises of the Croatian Government.
Draft Report on Financing of Projects and Programs of Civil Society Organizations from Public Sources in 2014 was debated on the meeting. It was outlined that data collected from 32 state institutions showed that more than 650 million kunas was allocated to civil society projects and programs in 2014, which represents an increase of allocations in relation to previous years.
Furthermore, draft Report on the Implementation of the National Strategy for the Creation of an Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development from 2012 to 2016, for the period from 2012 to 2014. was presented. According to data collected in the period from 2012 to 2014, there were 45 fully implemented activities, 37 activities that are currently being implemented, while implementation of 9 activities were not started. The discussion emphasized the need for additional investment in raising capacity of government body representatives to monitor and evaluate impact of the National Strategy and projects and programs of organizations financed from public sources.
Stela Fišer Marković from the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs presented to the Council latest news in preparation of the system for tenders financed by the European Social Fund from 2014 to 2020 and pointed out that the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs plans to publish first tenders in September due to the recently adopted guidelines of the Ministry of Labour and Pension System. Regarding implementation of projects within European Social Fund, representatives of Association GONG, in cooperation with several associations prepared a list of problems encountered by beneficiaries in implementation of projects in the programming period 2007-2013. It was agreed that additional meeting will be organized between project beneficiaries and implementing bodies in order to successfully and quickly resolve mentioned problems.
Additional two discussion topics, as requested by associations Croatian Youth Network and Green Action, were related to public consultation on amendments of the Law on Health Care and amendments of the Law on compulsory health insurance and problems in the implementation of the Regulation on the criteria, standards and procedures for financing and contracting programs and projects of interest to the common good that are being implemented by non-profit associations. Croatian Youth Network pointed out certain problems in implementing consultation with interested public in relation to these laws while the representative of the Ministry of Health said that the Ministry withdrew the amendments. The new Law will be in the regular procedure with interested public and conducted in the second half of July.
Bernard Ivić (Zelena Akcija) mentioned problems in implementation of the Regulation on the criteria, standards and procedures for financing and contracting programs and projects of interest to common good due to unequal treatment of local and regional governments towards different associations. Director of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs, Igor Vidačak noted that the Office, as a coordinator for implementation of the Regulation is regularly communicating and working on raising capacities of representatives of state, local and regional administrative bodies that are providing funds from public sources in better implementation of the Regulation. This includes the case of specific example which was described by the representative of the Green Action.
Results of the manifestation Open Door Day Association in 2015 and mobile application UdrugeInfo available for download on mobile phones was also presented on the Council. Associations were invited to start using mobile application, register their profiles on the website udrugeinfo.uzuvrh.hr/ and write down activities and services they want to present to citizens. Also, information was given on Framework Agreement that was signed between the Swiss Federal Council and the Croatian Government for the implementation of the Swiss-Croatian cooperation program to reduce economic and social disparities within the European Union. Agreement will encourage activities aimed to promote civil society's contribution to economic and social cohesion, through a grant worth 4.8 million CHF, and for projects aimed at promoting partnership and bilateral cooperation between Croatian and Swiss non-profit organizations, through grants worth 2 million CHF.
News
Draft Report on Financing of Projects and Programs of Civil Society Organizations from Public Sources in 2014 was debated on the meeting. It was outlined that data collected from 32 state institutions showed that more than 650 million kunas was allocated to civil society projects and programs in 2014, which represents an increase of allocations in relation to previous years.
Furthermore, draft Report on the Implementation of the National Strategy for the Creation of an Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development from 2012 to 2016, for the period from 2012 to 2014. was presented. According to data collected in the period from 2012 to 2014, there were 45 fully implemented activities, 37 activities that are currently being implemented, while implementation of 9 activities were not started. The discussion emphasized the need for additional investment in raising capacity of government body representatives to monitor and evaluate impact of the National Strategy and projects and programs of organizations financed from public sources.
Stela Fišer Marković from the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs presented to the Council latest news in preparation of the system for tenders financed by the European Social Fund from 2014 to 2020 and pointed out that the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs plans to publish first tenders in September due to the recently adopted guidelines of the Ministry of Labour and Pension System. Regarding implementation of projects within European Social Fund, representatives of Association GONG, in cooperation with several associations prepared a list of problems encountered by beneficiaries in implementation of projects in the programming period 2007-2013. It was agreed that additional meeting will be organized between project beneficiaries and implementing bodies in order to successfully and quickly resolve mentioned problems.
Additional two discussion topics, as requested by associations Croatian Youth Network and Green Action, were related to public consultation on amendments of the Law on Health Care and amendments of the Law on compulsory health insurance and problems in the implementation of the Regulation on the criteria, standards and procedures for financing and contracting programs and projects of interest to the common good that are being implemented by non-profit associations. Croatian Youth Network pointed out certain problems in implementing consultation with interested public in relation to these laws while the representative of the Ministry of Health said that the Ministry withdrew the amendments. The new Law will be in the regular procedure with interested public and conducted in the second half of July.
Bernard Ivić (Zelena Akcija) mentioned problems in implementation of the Regulation on the criteria, standards and procedures for financing and contracting programs and projects of interest to common good due to unequal treatment of local and regional governments towards different associations. Director of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs, Igor Vidačak noted that the Office, as a coordinator for implementation of the Regulation is regularly communicating and working on raising capacities of representatives of state, local and regional administrative bodies that are providing funds from public sources in better implementation of the Regulation. This includes the case of specific example which was described by the representative of the Green Action.
Results of the manifestation Open Door Day Association in 2015 and mobile application UdrugeInfo available for download on mobile phones was also presented on the Council. Associations were invited to start using mobile application, register their profiles on the website udrugeinfo.uzuvrh.hr/ and write down activities and services they want to present to citizens. Also, information was given on Framework Agreement that was signed between the Swiss Federal Council and the Croatian Government for the implementation of the Swiss-Croatian cooperation program to reduce economic and social disparities within the European Union. Agreement will encourage activities aimed to promote civil society's contribution to economic and social cohesion, through a grant worth 4.8 million CHF, and for projects aimed at promoting partnership and bilateral cooperation between Croatian and Swiss non-profit organizations, through grants worth 2 million CHF.