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BENITA FERRERO-WALDNER: CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM ADDS A NEW DIMENSION TO THE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP
PanARMENIAN.Net
17.11.2009 18:04 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ More than 200 Civil Society representatives from
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine,
the EU Member States, international organizations and networks as
well as third countries are gathering in Brussels on 16-17 November
for the first Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum.
The Forum demonstrates the EU's commitment to take on board the views
and ideas of people of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries. The
Forum will work on recommendations to EaP ministers who will be
holding their first working meeting on 8 th December, in particular
on priorities for work next year in the EaP multilateral platforms.
Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for External Relations and
European Neighbourhood Policy stated: "This civil society dialogue
adds a new dimension to the Eastern Partnership, which will enrich
in particular our multilateral activities in the EaP. The Forum
will provide fresh ideas as we work to address the challenges of
our partner countries". She added: "Civil society has a crucial
role to play in holding governments to their reform programmes. The
Forum will be important in helping to build confidence among civil
society organizations in partner countries, by providing a platform
to exchange experience."
The Civil Society Forum will be hosted by the European Commission, the
EU Presidency and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).
It responds to the need for more direct exchange between civil
society actors from EaP countries and EU Member States in order to
achieve the goals of the EaP: to promote democracy and good governance,
economic integration and convergence with EU policies, energy security
and contacts between people. By supporting civil society dialogue,
the EU aims to encourage increased contacts between organizations,
and dialogue with national authorities in the partner countries.
To ensure full transparency of the process leading to the establishment
of the Civil Society Forum, interested parties were invited via the
Eastern Partnership webpage to provide their opinions, as well as
express their interest to participate in the process.
Altogether, almost 450 expressions of interests were received from
grass root organisations, trade unions, employers' organisations,
professional associations, NGOs, think tanks, non-profit foundations,
national and international networks and other relevant civil society
actors. For budgetary and organisational reasons the number of
participants in the first meeting of the Forum was kept to 220,
following the selection process made by a Steering Committee
composed of independent personalities, representatives of the
European Commission, the EU Presidency and the European Economic and
Social Committee (EESC). Altogether 141 organisations from Eastern
Partnership countries and 79 from EU Member States and other countries
have been invited.
PanARMENIAN.Net
17.11.2009 18:04 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ More than 200 Civil Society representatives from
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine,
the EU Member States, international organizations and networks as
well as third countries are gathering in Brussels on 16-17 November
for the first Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum.
The Forum demonstrates the EU's commitment to take on board the views
and ideas of people of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries. The
Forum will work on recommendations to EaP ministers who will be
holding their first working meeting on 8 th December, in particular
on priorities for work next year in the EaP multilateral platforms.
Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for External Relations and
European Neighbourhood Policy stated: "This civil society dialogue
adds a new dimension to the Eastern Partnership, which will enrich
in particular our multilateral activities in the EaP. The Forum
will provide fresh ideas as we work to address the challenges of
our partner countries". She added: "Civil society has a crucial
role to play in holding governments to their reform programmes. The
Forum will be important in helping to build confidence among civil
society organizations in partner countries, by providing a platform
to exchange experience."
The Civil Society Forum will be hosted by the European Commission, the
EU Presidency and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).
It responds to the need for more direct exchange between civil
society actors from EaP countries and EU Member States in order to
achieve the goals of the EaP: to promote democracy and good governance,
economic integration and convergence with EU policies, energy security
and contacts between people. By supporting civil society dialogue,
the EU aims to encourage increased contacts between organizations,
and dialogue with national authorities in the partner countries.
To ensure full transparency of the process leading to the establishment
of the Civil Society Forum, interested parties were invited via the
Eastern Partnership webpage to provide their opinions, as well as
express their interest to participate in the process.
Altogether, almost 450 expressions of interests were received from
grass root organisations, trade unions, employers' organisations,
professional associations, NGOs, think tanks, non-profit foundations,
national and international networks and other relevant civil society
actors. For budgetary and organisational reasons the number of
participants in the first meeting of the Forum was kept to 220,
following the selection process made by a Steering Committee
composed of independent personalities, representatives of the
European Commission, the EU Presidency and the European Economic and
Social Committee (EESC). Altogether 141 organisations from Eastern
Partnership countries and 79 from EU Member States and other countries
have been invited.