Local communities in european integration process – to sustainable model of civil involvement in creating environment policy is project which is being realized by Center for European Integration of Belgrade Open School and Fund for an Open Society Serbia. Its activities connects local governments, civil societies (in the broadest sense of term, not just nongovernmental organizations) and citizens by including them in process where they all act together, first of all, creators and then end-users of one new practically political framework for direct civil involvement in creating environment policy process and its implementation, as well.
Project had aim to create sustainable platform for direct involvement of citizens on example of civil participation in strategic assessment of influence, as well as, assessment of influence on environment of all public and private projects which influence on environment at local level. Direct civil involvement platform in designing and implementation of environment policy (example of direct involvement in strategic assessment and assessment of influence on environment) is based on Code of Good Practice for Civil Participation in the Decision-Making Process of International NGO’s Conference of Council of Europe which offers good practice examples in civil participation in decision-making process.
Through this project, BOS primarily promoted new models of organized civil society involvement in democratic processes of creating and implementing local development policies in european integration process.
Overall objective of project
Overall objective of project was the establishment of sustainable direct civil involvement process in environment preservation and improvement process by creating realistic basis for participation of professional and expert associations in designing and implementing of local development policies process.
Specific objectives of projects were:
- Setting the sustainable model for civil participation in creating and implementing environment policies process, based on EU recommendations and good practice, by using assessment of influence on environment as an example;
- Strengthening professional and structural association capacities for active and equal involvement in designing and implementing responsible environment policies on local level, in accordance with priorities of european integration;
- Enabling professional, expert associations and civil societies organizations for using available legal mechanisms in creating and implementing of development policies process on local level in european integration process;
- Functional networking of civil organizations societies, academic community and media in Serbia for active operation In local communities, sharing experiences and establishing european standards in preserving the environment;
- Strengthening the cooperation between the state administration, civil society and academic community for improving urban sustainable development in Republic of Serbia.
Project partners:
Fund for an Open Society Serbia
Time and place:
Belgrade, May - November 2012