Workshop in Vrnjacka Banja “Policy Advocacy in the Field of Environment at the Local Level”

The Center for European Integration of the Belgrade Open School has organized a training on "Policy Advocacy in the Field of Environment at the Local Level" which has included representatives of civil society organizations and local self-governments from southern and southwestern Serbia. The training took place in Vrnjacka Banja from 25th to 27th of February 2015.

The workshop was organized within the project “Know How 2 Act” which was funded by the Royal Embassy of Norway.

The workshop was dealing with the following issues: analysis of the normative and program framework for creation and implementation of environmental policy at the local level, public participation in developing program on using local funds for environmental protection and strengthening the cooperation between local self-government and civil society.

The result of the workshop is a common agreement on the continuation of the campaign within the project “Know How 2 Act”. The aim of the campaign is to improve the practice of public participation in planning and using local self-governments funds for the protection and improvement of the environment. Council for the protection and improvement of the environment is an advisory body which was already established in six local self-governments and it has been recognized as a key instrument for advocacy of increased public participation in enviromental policy making process.

More information on project can be found here.