The prospects for ‘flexible’ EU democracy funding debated by democracy practitioners
News Source: PASOS Secretariat, Prague, Czech Republic
A PASOS study into the reform of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) was presented by the author, Věra Řiháčková, at the World Movement for Democracy Assembly in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Věra Řiháčková (centre), Senior Research Fellow of EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, Czech Republic, summarised the findings of her PASOS study, flanked (left to right) by Carl Gershman, President of the US National Endowment for Democracy (NED), Bo Tedards, Director, International Co-operation Department, Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, Barbara Haig of NED, and Roland Rich, Executive Head of the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF)
Since its introduction in January 2007, and de facto implementation from the second half of 2008, the reformed European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) has opened up the possibility of more flexible funding reaching civil society organisations and individuals. A PASOS analysis of the implementation of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (Country-Based Support Schemes) in Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, launched a debate on funding strategies at a workshop of democracy assistance foundations, held at the World Movement for Democracy’s Sixth Assembly in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 11-14 April 2010.
The workshop, held on 13 April 2010, was organised by the US National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and participants included more than 40 democracy activists from around the world, as well as representatives of major democracy assistance foundations. Other participants included Igor Munteanu, PASOS Board member and Executive Director of Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) “Viitorul”, Moldova, and Jeff Lovitt, PASOS Executive Director.
The PASOS policy brief, A long and winding road? The quest for ‘flexible’ EU democracy funding, by Věra Řiháčková, Senior Research Fellow, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, Czech Republic, includes a set of draft recommendations concerning the EIDHR. Following feedback from practitioners and EU delegations in the countries analysed, an updated set of recommendations will be presented at a forthcoming PASOS seminar to be held in Brussels on 1 June 2010.
According to the study (attached), greater attention is now devoted to the need for confidentiality concerning activities undertaken under authoritarian rule, and the option of re-granting to local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) has begun to be taken up in response to calls for proposals in 2009-2010. As this study sets out, more consultation with other donors, and with EU (European Union) and third-country NGOs, could close the remaining gaps between the promise and reality of the new financial arrangements.
However, the EIDHR remains a standard instrument implemented via a technical orgapproach rather than a political tool with the potential to support or promote democracy in countries ripe for change. Democracy support remains overshadowed by human and social rights issues within EIDHR programming and implementation. Moreover, the new EIDHR Strategy Paper 2011-2013 offers little prospect of significant changes that would raise the priority of democracy support closer to the level of priority given to human rights support.
This policy brief was written as part of the project, Return to Europe – Reflections After 20 Years of Democratic Renewal. The research was undertaken by the following project partners, all of which are PASOS members: the Center for Policy Studies at the Central European University, Hungary, the Institute of Public Affairs (ISP), Poland, and the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO), Slovak Republic. The project is being carried out with the support of the Europe for Citizens Programme of the European Union, and of the International Visegrad Fund.
PASOS_EIDHR_policybrief12april10.pdf (472.61 kB)
