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Roundtable Debate in Brussels – Challenges & Opportunities for Social Services’ Providers in WB

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Yesterday’s Roundtable Debate “CSOs providing social services in the Western Balkans: Challenges & opportunities”, which took place in Brussels in organization of the IRIS Network in cooperation with SOLIDAR, brought together policy makers and social services’ providers from relevant CSOs from the Balkan region.

The Round Table was attended by  Regional and Country Directors of ASB-SEE, Elmir Bojadzic and Gordan Velev (Country Office Serbia), Coordinator of the Project “Improving the provision of Social Service Delivery in South Eastern Europe through the empowerment of national and regional CSOs”, Masa Mitrovic and representatives of IRIS Network partner organizations in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.

Within meaningful discussion, participants expressed their views toward existing social challenges in WB including the consequences of slowed EU Enlargement process and ongoing migrant crisis. They also had the opportunity to present innovative and sustainable solutions in the field of services provision for the most vulnerable groups, with a special focus on youth, Roma and PwD. Within this part of debate, three innovative national case studies, developed through the Project of IRIS Network, were presented.

The presentation of ARSIS, IRIS Network partner in Albania could be seen here.

The presentation of IRIS Network in B&H could be found here.

The presentation of Otaharin, IRIS partner in B&H is available here.

The presentation of SMILE, IRIS partner in Serbia could be seen here.

CSOs PROVIDING SOCIAL SERVICES IN THE WESTERN BALKANS: CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES

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IRIS Network in cooperation with SOLIDAR is organizing the Round Table “CSOs PROVIDING SOCIAL SERVICES IN THE WESTERN BALKANS: CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES”, dedicated to challenges and opportunities for CSOs providing social services in the Western Balkans, which are related to overcoming current refugee crisis and the latest political and economic pressures inside the European Union that provoked a slowdown of the Enlargement process.

Civil society organizations (CSOs) need to find ways to revamp the Enlargement process and its social dimension in order to enhance economic, social and territorial cohesion. In particular the innovative capacities of CSOs providing social services needs to be strengthened and they need to be supported to strengthen their capacity and directly engage local and regional beneficiaries in decisions around the ‘EU Social Acquis’. These are the main objectives of the EU funded project “Improving the provision of Social Service Delivery in South Eastern Europe through the empowerment of national and regional CSOs” led by ASB-SEE that will be presented at this round table.

The Round Table will bring together policy makers and members of the civil society the possibility to discuss main challenges and opportunities for CSOs providing social services in the Western Balkans as well as the best solutions to make sure that Enlargement process is a catalyzer for social progress and enhancement of socio-economic rights.

More information on the even could be found here.

The social dimension of EU Enlargement

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The social dimension of EU Enlargement

On Tuesday 1 April, the round table ‘The social dimension of EU Enlargement’ organized by the IRIS Network, SOLIDAR, ASB South East Europe (SEE) and FEPS took place in the European Parliament involving MEPs Knut Fleckenstein, Maria Eleni Koppa and Marino Baldini and representatives of DGs Employment and Social Affairs and Enlargement. The main questions for the debate concerned the latest developments since the adoption of the EP resolution on enlargement (based on the report of MEP Maria Eleni Koppa) in 2013 which highlighted the neglect of the social dimension of the EU enlargement process.

Participants from the IRIS Network highlighted measures that are needed to be put in place, in order to strengthen the social dimension of the EU Enlargement process and to enhance the socio-economic transformation of candidate countries. And good practices were presented that showcase how civil society organizations are working to advance social cohesion and active inclusion in the Balkan. In addition, the IRIS Network’s book “Comparative Analysis of the Role of Civil Society in Providing Social Welfare Services in the Western Balkans” was presented.

The comparative analysis presents the legal and institutional framework for the provision of social service by civil society organisations in the Western Balkans and their role in this field. The situation in each country is described in special chapters together with recommendations and examples of good practices. Partcipants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Kosovo and Serbia discussed the following general conclusions and recommendations outlined in the baseline study to:

  • Establish systems of support for the NGO sector, coordinated with the work of line ministries in order to enable greater efficiency and long-term sustainability of the NGO sector.
  • Build national systems of financing that can help to define the priorities for the development of the NGO sector and its interactions with the public service sector.
  • Strengthen the monitoring and policy making capacities of line ministries in order to support the development of the entire social protection system as well as NGOs providing social services.
  • Implement concurrent advocacy work for the development of the NGO sector and also to introduce of a quality control system in both sectors.

In 2014 IRIS Network plans to continue working together with the SOLIDAR and other members and partners to enhance the socio-economic transformation of candidate countries, the revitalisation of socio-economic rights through chapters 23 and 24 and the Europeanisation of a strong social model.

*Article from http://www.solidar.org/The-social-dimension-of-EU.html