Walking the tightrope of democracy aid
News Source: PASOS Secretariat, Prague, Czech Republic
A new PASOS study into the effectiveness of European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) was presented at a seminar in Brussels on 1 June, including a debate on the quest for flexible EU democracy funding and into the impact of the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty on European democracy assistance.
A group of leading policy analysts, policymakers and NGO practitioners came together in a seminar examining EU democracy funding strategies and considering new opportunities of democracy support in EU external relations under the Lisbon Treat, not least with the expanded staffing anticipated with the emergence of the new European External Action Service – the EU’s new diplomatic corps.
The PASOS study, Walking the tightrope of democracy aid – The long and winding road towards ‘flexible’, well-targeted EU funding for democracy and human rights, was written by Věra Řiháčková, Senior Research Fellow of EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, Czech Republic. The debate, introduced and chaired by PASOS Executive Director Jeff Lovitt included, among others, Carlos Hernandez Ferreiro, Deputy Executive Director of the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), Helena Lagerlof, European Commission – EuropeAid cooperation office (TBC ), representatives of think-tanks and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from Ukraine and Georgia, and from new EU member-states.
The study focused on the implementation of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (Country-Based Support Schemes) in Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.
The event is part of Return to Europe – Reflections After 20 Years of Democratic Renewal, a PASOS project including studies and opinion polls into attitudes, especially among the younger generation, towards democracy in the Visegrad Four countries after two decades of democracy, and a survey of the public’s attitudes to their own governments’ support for democratisation in third countries.
Additional studies from the project, include: a policy brief on the Implications of the Ratification of the Lisbon Treaty for European Democracy Support (focusing in particular on the development of the EU diplomatic service, or External Action Service).
The project is conducted in association with PASOS members: Center for Policy Studies at the Central European University, Hungary, Institute of Public Affairs (ISP), Poland, and the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO), Slovak Republic.
The seminar will be held with the support of the Europe for Citizens Programme of the European Union, and of the International Visegrad Fund.
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PASOS_EIDHR_policybrief1June2010.pdf (438.02 kB)
