NENO’S VISIT TO THE CPF

NENO (Network of the Estonian Non-governmental Organisations) and Citizen participation Forum discussed potential joint projects and exchange of good practices during an informal meeting between Maris Jõgeva, Executive Director of NENO and Iva Taralezhvkova, Chair of the Citizen Participation Forum Board.

A highlight of the meeting between the two (each of them managing a network of more than 100 NGOs) was the interaction between the state and the civil society, the experience both networks have in advocacy and policy-making.

Bulgaria can learn from the Estonian experience where there has been more than 10 year-old tradition in the implementation of a National strategy for civil society and NGOs development. Citizen Participation Forum together with the Bulgarian Center for Non-Profit Law have decided to organise a study visit in Estonia with the aim to study the mechanism for cooperation and support of the civil society organisations. The provisional agenda involves also  key decision-makers from Bulgaria to take part in order to gain first-hand experience so that they can contribute to the actual implementation in Bulgaria through the Law on Non-profit Legal Entities.

Maris Jõgeva has been in Bulgaria following an invitation on behalf of the Bulgarian Center for Non-Profit Law, member of the Citizen Participation Forum.  Maris Jõgeva presented the Estonian model for interaction and cooperation between the civil society organisations and the state regarding the third sector policies and the implementation of the priorities set in the Strategy for civil society development in Estonia during a public discussion regarding the legislative amendments in the Law on Non-Profit Legal Entities, organised by BCNL.

The Deputy Prime Minister on EU funds and the economic policy, Tomislav Donchev, the Justice Minister, Hristo Ivanov and Atanas Slavov, Advisor to the Justice Minister at that time attended the meeting. The public discussion gathered more than 100 attendees. The civil society representatives discussed their ideas for legislative amendments, the selection mechanism for the Council for civil society organisations development, the organisational and financial issues surrounding the NGO Fund.