EU backs civil society

THE EUROPEAN Commission has decided to further back civil society in the 10 new member states, including Cyprus, as it believes enhancing citizens’ control over their governments is essential for good governance.

A call for proposals to this end was announced in Brussels yesterday, focusing on areas such as the rule of law, democracy, fundamental rights, media pluralism and the fight against corruption.

“Alternative funding mechanisms, such as private foundations, are not yet sufficiently developed in the ten new member states,” the Commission said in a press release. It added that as a result many NGOs have difficulty securing the “minimum level of finance needed to undertake actions.”

The proposals, which should be based on EU policies, should be submitted by February 15, 2005. The projects approved could start running from April of the same year and over a 12 month period. According to the rules set out, NGOs from all member states can come in as partners, but the lead organisation has to come from one of the new states.

More information can be found on:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/justice_home/funding/support_ngo/funding_support_en.htm

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.