The European Union Office in Kosovo has marked the International Day of Non-Governmental Organizations, on which occasion it announced that within the framework of the Growth Plan that includes the Western Balkan countries, Kosovo can benefit from the 880 million euros that are available.

Representatives of 20 NGOs that are beneficiaries of European Union grants during 2024 participated in the celebration of this day.

The European Union Ambassador to Kosovo, Aivo Orav, stated that for the EU an active civil society is an essential component of any democracy.

According to him, the US administration's surprising decision to cut off funding worldwide has also affected the NGO sector in Kosovo.

In this regard, the Head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Aivo Orav, also raised the dependence of NGOs on donors as a concern, for which he expressed his belief that this challenge can be addressed with the Government's upcoming strategy for cooperation with civil society 2025-2029.

"I am aware that the surprising decision of the US administration to suspend much-needed aid to Kosovo and other countries around the world has had an extremely large impact on the programs offered by the NGO sector operating in Kosovo. However, this decision has highlighted for us a problem of a long-term nature, which for us is the dependence of NGOs on donors. I very much hope that this challenge will be addressed with the upcoming Government Strategy for Cooperation with Civil Society 2025-2029. From the EU's point of view, I want to reiterate that your work remains very important for us, for the European future of Kosovo and most importantly for the democracy of Kosovo", he stressed.

Emphasizing the support that the European Union has given and will continue to give to Kosovo on its journey towards the EU, the head of the EU Office in Kosovo stated that Kosovo will be able to benefit from 880 million euros through the Growth Plan.

"The EU is Kosovo's largest trading partner, but also the largest investor in financial assistance. The EU will continue to support Kosovo in its reform process and on its path towards the EU. For this reason, we have presented the Growth Plan for the Western Balkan countries, where Kosovo is given the opportunity to benefit from 880 million euros, this is a large number, the aim is to cover the country's growth and it should also be said that as part of the plan we also have consultations with external stakeholders, including civil society organizations", said Orav.

Team Leader in the Cooperation Unit at the EU Office in Kosovo, Olivier Boudart, outlined some of the programs through which organizations and media in Kosovo have benefited.

"18 of these organizations or rather of these contracts have been signed with Kosovar organizations, including 3 in the media sector, which is extraordinary and describes the capacities of CSOs and media to meet our requirements in the call for proposals. This is important when we know that 17 other organizations have also entered into partnerships with our programs, helping us to reach communities at the grassroots level. We have signed 16 contracts for just over 4.8 million euros with the CSO and media program, in January we have contracts worth 1.2 million euros through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights. These two thematic budget lines are the main instruments through which the EU provides financial support to CSOs and media in Kosovo. I would like to mention another mechanism, the European Endowment for Democracy, which is very active in Kosovo and is largely funded by the EU," he said.

This activity to mark International NGO Day continued with a panel where concerns were raised and figures were given for the losses suffered by the civil society sector in Kosovo, following the suspension of USAID funds by the American administration, for which the European Union was asked to be a shield for NGOs in Kosovo.

Dren Puka from the Kosovo Foundation for Civil Society, stated that the EU remains the biggest supporter of the development of democracy in Kosovo.

"The EU remains the largest and main supporter over the years and currently for the development of democracy in the country and at this point more important than ever before is that the dialogue with civil society and all stakeholders to overcome this situation continues... to push the Government, unfortunately, to make greater efforts to support the most affected areas. For the EU Office and in Brussels, systematic and much greater involvement of civil society in the entire European integration process", he emphasized.

Director of Programs at the Kosovo Women's Network, Nicola Farnsworth, emphasizing that the EU grant for this organization has come at a perfect moment after the withdrawal of American funds.

She indicated that through the European Union grant, they will provide services to marginalized groups by raising their awareness about access to rights.

"But what excites us is the content for the provision of services and social assistance that aims to reach the most marginalized people in Kosovo. We work closely with the organization for people with muscular dystrophy and other organizations to show how more services can be provided, especially after the merger of the Ministry of Labor and Finance and the lack of knowledge of citizens on how to access services and how to raise their voices against the denial of access to rights," she said.

Kreshnik Gashi from BIRN called for the European Union to become a shield for civil society after the attacks that this sector is suffering in the region.

Gashi also requested long-term strategies and concrete steps from the government and the Assembly of Kosovo following the situation created by the withdrawal of American funds.

"The European Union has positioned itself as a shield for civil society organizations against attacks that have already been launched by totalitarian and corrupt politicians against civil society throughout the Balkan region. It is very important that the EU sends a clear message that the credibility of civil society is being damaged. Do not allow the credibility of EU partner organizations to be damaged under the assumption of a message that came from the US. The protection from the European Union for organizations that are currently being attacked, the EU's protection for civil society activists who are being attacked in the Balkan region must be tough and must be very concrete and a very clear signal that if the credibility of civil society is being damaged, the EU will not remain silent," declared Gashi./KosovaPress

/Kosovapress/