Beyond the EU
Description
Since its inception, ECAS has been determined to develop the capacities of emerging CSOs in EU accession countries in Central and Eastern Europe by mobilising citizens and promoting models of cooperation between CSOs and governments. It also ran the IMPACT Office in Brussels between 2008 and 2012, which was geared towards building the capacities of Croatian CSOs in the framework of the country’s EU accession.
Presently, ECAS is using its expertise in participatory democracy and direct provision of services to citizens to help build high-performing and sustainable CSOs in the Western Balkans & Turkey. It does this by coordinating regional projects and providing technical assistance, but also by directly building the capacities of CSOs though tailor-made conferences, study visits and training.
From 2015, ECAS has decided to go a step further and use the experience and know-how gained in wider Europe to support the democratic transition and the development of civil society in the Southern Neighbourhood. ECAS has contributed to EC consultations on the Neighbourhood policy and is actively consulting local stakeholders in order to ensure, as always, that the real needs of citizens are being answered.
2015-2020 Timeframe
In the period 2015 – 2020 ECAS is working to:
- Support the development and implementation of National Advocacy Roadmaps in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Turkey.
- Campaign, together with partners, for a more enabling environment for civil society organisations, providing access to information, free legal advice and representation to citizens in all of the countries of the Western Balkans & Turkey.
- Carry out a stakeholders’ analysis, developing partnerships, and a Strategy to support civil society in the Southern Neighbourhood.
- Launch the Triple A pan-European network in 2016 as a platform of civil society organisations providing information, advice and free legal aid to citizens in wider Europe, focusing on quality standards, regional benchmarking, targeted advocacy actions and the exchange of best practices.
Publications
Triple A – Access to Justice for Citizens
Empowering vulnerable citizens to exercise their rights through free direct advice services Triple A for Citizens is a 4-year project in the Western Balkans and Turkey, which empowers citizens to exercise their rights through the provision of free legal aid,…
Press Release: ECAS to Launch Triple A for Citizens Pan-European Network
ECAS will launch the Triple A for Citizens – Access to information, Advice and Active help - pan-European network today, establishing free legal aid and advice services across Europe and empowering citizens by raising awareness of their rights and helping with…
Triple A for Citizens: The Key Achievements
Triple A for Citizens is a project led by ECAS and implemented in partnership with 10 civil society organisations from across Europe since 2012. The project is about empowering civil society organisations to help citizens to exercise their rights through the provision…
Civil Society Given a Boost in Western Balkans
The third Western Balkans Summit took place in Paris in July 2016, resulting in substantial progress for civil society organisations in the region as well as an important development in Serbia’s efforts to accede to the EU. The standout achievement…
ECAS Gives Input for the Sustainability of EC-Funded Projects in Western Balkans and Turkey
On 26-27 January representatives of the DG NEAR-funded Framework Partnership Agreement (FPAs) met in Brussels to discuss the sustainability of their actions and to formulate recommendations to DG NEAR for further support of the sustainability of project outcomes and regional network…
Triple A Conference: The Challenges of Providing Free Legal Aid in the Western Balkans and Turkey
Last week, the conference “Access to Justice and the Roles of CSOs in the Western Balkans and Turkey: From practice to policy impact” was held in Pristina from November 26-27. The Conference was put on by ECAS and its local…
ECAS’ Reaction to the ENP Review
In March 2015 the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, and the Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, launched a public consultation on the future of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), which remained open…
Triple A Regional Conference in Pristina November 26-27th
ECAS is organizing a Regional Conference in Pristina, Kosovo, on November 26-27 with its partners Civil Rights Projects Kosovo. The event will be held in the scope of the Triple A (Access to Information, Advice, and Active Help Services) project…
Triple A Partners Provide Assistance to Refugees in the Western Balkans
The partners and former pilot projects of Triple A, a project led by ECAS focusing on reforms to free legal aid in the Western Balkans and Turkey, have been busy. With the influx of migrants and refugees passing through the…
Call for Proposals for CSOs in Montenegro Extended
In July, Under the framework of the Triple A project, ECAS released a Call for Proposals which was open to Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Albania, Macedonia, and Montenegro, who provide information, advice and active help services which are free and…
