On 7 September, a Consultation and Validation Meeting on the EUCSG 2020 Assessment Report for Kosovo was held with 22 participants representing local CSOs, public institutions and international and local organisations.
The event was opened by Dario Di Benedetto, Task Manager, EU Office in Kosovo, who noted the importance of the assessment as a part of a larger scale endeavor which started in 2014. The regional idea of the Guidelines (EUCSG) was to provide EU support in the region, and it is considered valuable and essential for programming within the sector. Most importantly, the Country Report is drafted based on the same structure as the guidelines, as most recommendations come from this tool. Additionally, the guidelines provide a common language for assistance and a basis for streamlining the CSO cooperation with the Government and formulation of objectives. The upcoming guidelines 2021-2027 are in preparation and are improved in certain aspects.
A thorough overview of the assessment regional and country-level findings was provided for the audience. Tanja Hafner Ademi, Team Leader, EU TACSO 3, who focused on the regional aspect, initially provided an overview of the EU TACSO 3 Project and its main goal and objectives. The purpose of the assessment was to
a) assess the state of enabling environment and capacities of CSOs against the EUCSG (2014-2020),
b) trace the effect of COVID-19 on guidelines and on civil society and
c) inform the preparation of EC country reports and civil society support. The main areas of the EUCSG were presented to enable the audience to understand the structure of the research.
The areas are:
a) conducive Environment (Legal, policy and financial),
b) the relationship between CSOs and Public Institutions, and
c) the state of CSO Capacities.
During the presentation, key challenges noted in the areas of the assessment were related to restrictions on basic rights and fundamental freedom under the pretext of COVID-19. There was a notable further decrease in public trust in public funding and public consultations due to the continued emergence of new CSOs initiated by representatives of Governments, political parties and individuals related to them (GONGOs and PONGOs). In terms of restrictions, pressures were imposed on CSOs through restrictive anti-money laundering and combating terrorist financing regulations. Additionally, tax frameworks were not tailored to the specific nature of the CSOs. There was also a decrease in public funding for CSOs and non-transparent public funding distribution. Finally, a lack of (publicly accessible) official data on CSOs, hindering the visibility and recognition of the economic impact and value of the sector, was noted.
In terms of the effects of COVID-19, freedom of assembly and expression were notably restricted due to the COVID-19 related measures. The decrease in funding was noted due to delays. There was a significant inability to organize fundraising or other activities due to restrictions. CSOs were generally not included in the state support packages in the fight against COVID-19, with some exceptions, such as Kosovo. CSOs had to adjust their services to vulnerable groups and increase advocacy efforts. Amongst challenges, CSOs responded to the pandemic promptly.
The presentation of the local level findings was provided by Dren Puka, BCSDN National Researcher. The assessment was conducted through various forms of research such as desk research, surveys, interviews and focus groups. In the area of a conducive environment for the legal and policy aspect, no recent changes were noted in the legal framework on freedom of association and expression, both in line with best international standards and practices. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CSOs and residents in Kosovo protested two times less in 2020 compared to 2019. The legal framework governing volunteering and employment is in the amending process, and currently there is no specific legal framework for grassroots in place. In the area of a conducive environment for the financial aspect, specific needs of the sector are not taken into account. There is noted two-fold reporting requirements – to Tax Administration of Kosovo and Department of NGOs. Public funding of CSOs, though regulated require more intervention in proper implementation, mostly to transparency and classification of funding. Out of 21 million EUR, it is estimated that only 7 million EUR went to NGOs as a form of assistance, and the remaining funds were distributed to federations, sports clubs, economic operators and marketing services provided to public institutions mistakenly categorised as CSOs. However, CSOs were in the first emergency package provided by the Government. In terms of the relationship between CSOs and the Government (Public Institutions), although the infrastructure is in place, a large number of CSOs did not participate in decision making. CSOs carry out short term planning for their work, and this is mostly affected by the availability of funding. Although there are 11,017 CSOs registered in Kosovo, data from the Tax Administration and the Pension Fund shows only 10-15% are active. In terms of transparency, as in the past, there is a discrepancy. Over 70% of surveyed CSOs consider themselves to be (fully) transparent and accountable, and 55% think that the sector is partially transparent and accountable. CSOs demand that their needs are surveyed before capacity building programmes are designed and urge the donor community to enable them to have the relevant capacities for implementing complex projects related to their area of activity. There were no improvements regarding policy development on gender mainstreaming. However, focus group participants and interviewees say there is a solid ground for gender equality in CSOs. CSOs are working on gender mainstreaming because their resources and thematic knowledge are most capacitated to support public institutions in tackling this issue.
During the discussion session, participants had the opportunity to provide their views and opinions over the assessment findings, which will be taken under consideration in the report. The full report is expected to be published soon on the EU TACSO 3 website and social media channels. The event was part of a larger programme held in six Western Balkans countries and Turkey.
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.