Timeline

1. The Roots of Democracy and Sustainable Development:Europe's Engagement with Civil Society in External Relations

2. Timeline Structured Dialogue Final Conference (Budapest) Stakeholders consultation for the Communication Council adopts Conclusions on the Communication 19 May 2011 Commission adopts the new Communication March – May 2012 15 Oct. 12 Sep. '12 2011 2012 Busan Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation Agenda for Change Communication adopted Agenda for Change Council Conclusion adopted Dec. '11 Oct. '11 14 May 2012

3. Background to the Communication •  CSOs recognised as development actors in their own right , but: • A changing environment: • Increasing number and diversity & more fluid forms of citizen action • Rise of Internet & social media • Limited dialogue with the state • Shrinking space for CSOs & restrictive measures • CSO internal challenges (governance, capacity & funding access) Development and Cooperation

4. The Communication in a nutshell (i) • Towards a more strategic engagement with CSOs in Developing, Neighbourhood and Enlargement countries • Facilitate constructive relations between states and CSOs • Three priorities: Development and Cooperation

5. The Communication in a nutshell (ii) • Promoting an enabling environment (1) • Strong focus on the country level and empowerment of local actors (2-5) • CSOs in regional and global settings (6) • Shaping EU support Development and Cooperation

6. 1. Promoting an enabling environment: a multi-stakeholder endeavour • Peer pressure through diplomacy and political dialogue • Strengthen efforts to monitor CSOs' enabling environment • Promote CSO led monitoring initiatives • Actions and measures in response to human rights violations • Strengthen capacity of public authorities to work constructively with CSOs • Reporting, promoting reflection, increasing accountability of public authorities & CSOs • Ensuring independence, internal governance, accountability and representativeness Development and Cooperation

7. 2. Inclusive policy making for better governance • Dialogue schemes are country-, sector- and actor-specific • Dialogue should happen at all levels • Importance of multi-stakeholder dialogues • CSOs to offer relevance, representativeness and expertise • EU support: • Focus on the quality by ensuring results-oriented, timely, predictable & transparent dialogue • Invest in supporting structured and effective mechanisms for dialogue between CSOs and (local, regional, national) & public authorities Development and Cooperation

8. 3. Domestic transparency & accountability Development and Cooperation

9. 4. Social services: Partnerships for better quality Development and Cooperation

10. 5. CSOs' work for inclusive & sustainable growth • EU support: • Initiatives combining social & economic ambitions • Job creation and entrepreneurship • Schemes to extend access to financial services The actors: • Cooperatives, foundations, NGOs, … • Increasingly active players in the economic realm • Stimulate the local economy, monitoring policies, delivering support services, etc. Development and Cooperation

11. 6. CSOs in global and regional settings • Rise of activist movements and networks • Emergence of a 'global civil society' • Promoting multilateral norms and standards • Monitoring international commitments (PCD, aid) • Promote global citizenship & solidarity EU support: • CSO participation in multilateral processes & arrangements • Dialogue with European institutions  Policy Forum • Development Education and Awareness Raising (DEAR) Development and Cooperation

12. EU Support: Towards a more strategic engagement with CSOs • Capacity development • Reinforce capacity of local CSOs • Long term, flexible and demand driven approach • Partnerships with EU CSOs • Funding adapted to local needs • Appropriate mix of flexible funding modalities • Improving access for local CSOs • Coordinated EU action • Better understanding of the CSO arena • Better coordination between EU and Member States • Roadmaps for engagement with CSOs

13. Country roadmaps (EU and Member States) • Strategic EU engagement with CSOs • More impact, consistency, predictability & visibility of EU actions • Efficiency gains: sharing knowledge/experiences and coordination • Smartly designed &building on existing mechanisms. • Linked to the EU cycle of external assistance • More complementarity between EU instruments and with MS support

14. 15 October 2012 - European Council Conclusions! • With the Council Conclusions we have now a shared EU and MS policy….. • The Council welcomes the Communication for a: "renewed and more ambitious policy in support of civil society, with a focus on CSOs from partner countries and an emphasis on CSOs’ engagement to strengthening democratic processes and accountability systems and achieving better development outcomes". • The Councils Conclusions put additional emphasis on: • Rights-based approach to development • CSOs and gender equality • CSOs in contexts of fragility, crisis and post-conflict

15. Take away messages – boosting EU engagement with civil society in partner countries • New framework reflecting changed role of societies (Arab Spring) & new development policy (Agenda for Change; Busan). • Key role CSOs in democratic governance and development. • Recognition of CSOs as actors in their own right. • Focus on local CSOs in partner countries, recognising country specificities. • Better EU coordination: development of country roadmaps with EU Member States. • Support to role of CSOs in transparent & accountable governance & inclusive economic development; lesser role in service delivery (in specific contexts). • Specific attention to role of CSOs in fragile states (New Deal). • Stronger engagement of CSOs in EU all stages of programming. • Importance of CSO capacity development and internal governance.

16. THANK YOU