Project “Institutional grant CSOnnect” 

Environmental Civil Society Support Programme for Serbia

Institutional grant in the frame of the REC’s “Environmental Civil Society Support Programme for Serbia (CSOnnect)”, is implemented by the consortium of 13 organisations led by Organisation for Respect and Care of Animals – ORCA. Institutional grant contributes to empowering civil society organisations (CSOs) to participate in environmental policy development and decision making actively, effectively and in a gender-sensitive manner; to play an active role in Serbia’s EU accession process; and to monitor and evaluate environmental project implementation at local, regional and national level. 11 consortia in total have received institutional grants in the frame of this programme.

Our project partners and consortium members are: Ecological movement „Frame of Life“, Association „HаbiProt“, Ecological Association Dragačevo, Citizens Association „Eko-kampus“, Association „Pavlos“, Citizens Association „Forum for sustainable development“, Association for the development of organic production „Biobalkan“, Mountaneering Association „Oštra čuka“, Youth Association – Sokobanja  „UM“, Association for the protection, rearing and study of animals „ZooPlanet“, Agro-turistic-ecological Association „Za Jelašnicu“, Association Rural Centre „Sova“ and Association of researchers „Vladimir Mandić-Manda“.

“CSOnnect” is the programme of support to civil society organisations in Serbia, in the area of the environment, implemented by the Regional Environmental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), office in Serbia, with financial support of Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). CSOnnect programme is primarily aimed to strengthen capacities of the civil society organisations in order to have an active role in Serbia’s EU accession process. It’s goal is to support institutional building of those civil society organisations that have potential to assume leading role in key challenges related to environment in the Serbia’s negotiation process with the EU in the frame of the Negotiation group 27.

Main activities of the project:

  • institutional building of partner organisations, through organised trainings and coordination meetings, aimed at participating in policy development and implementation efficiently and effectively, i.e. monitoring negotiations related to the Chapter 27 (environment).
  • Cross-sector networking and strengthening cooperation between the representatives of civil society organisations, local, regional and national institutions competent for adoption and monitoring of policies in the area of environmental protection, through participation at meetings, public debates and research implementation.
  • raised awareness about the importance of the participation of the civil society organisations in adoption and monitoring of policies in the area of environmental protection, through public campaigns of the partner organisations and promotional activities.