New Role of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs in the System of EU Funds Management in the RC

The Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs and the National Foundation for Civil Society Development became accredited bodies for the implementation of Human Resource Development Operational Programme on 16 August 2012.

 

Also, at the Government’s session today, the Office for Cooperation with NGOs was designated a Level 1 Intermediary Body in the implementation of Human Resource Development Operational Programme for priority axis 5 – Interventions in the area of civil society development based on the Government Decree on the bodies within the system of management and supervision of EU structural funds absorption in the Republic of Croatia (link).

 

You can download the text of the Human Resources Development Operational Programme for the period from 2007-2013, which contains the description of the priority areas to be financed under IPA IV component allocations, here.

 

The Act on Establishing the Institutional Framework for EU Structural Funds Absorption in the Republic of Croatia which was adopted on 6 July 2012 (OG 78/2012, link) regulates the institutional framework for EU structural funds absorption in the Republic of Croatia aimed at the implementation of Operational Programmes in the period from 2007-2013. It also stipulates the functions and responsibilities of the bodies within the system of management and supervision of funds absorption and defines the scope of Level 1 Intermediary Bodies some of which we would like to mention here. In line with the Communication Plan prepared by the Coordination body, the said body is in charge of information and visibility activities putting special emphasis on the measures intended for users; it implements advisory activities with the view of ensuring better understanding of rights and responsibilities among users in connection with financing; it plans and initiates project selection in the form of open invitations for project proposals or restricted invitations for project proposals and selects projects; in cooperation with Level 2 Intermediary Body it prepares guidelines/instructions for applicants regarding assessment and preliminary appraisal of projects; it ensures the assessment of project compliance with the selection criteria which are approved by the Operational Programme Monitoring Committee; it selects projects for financing and submits the list to Level 2 Intermediary Body for the preliminary assessment of compliance with eligibility criteria.

 

Thus the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs has affirmed the importance of investing the EU funds in the development of civil society organizations. It will rely on the experience gained in the implementation of EU pre-accession funds (CARDS, PHARE, and IPA – Component I) in its future work.