REGIONAL PROJECT „SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE FOR SUSTAINABLE BALKANS“ HAS STARTED
01.01.2016
REGIONAL PROJECT „SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE FOR SUSTAINABLE BALKANS“ HAS STARTED
Implementation of the project “Sustainable agriculture for sustainable Balkans: Strengthening advocacy capacities of CSOs and developing policies in the Western Balkans” has started.
This project aims to strengthen capacities of civil society organisations (CSOs) for advocacy, using research, training and networking. Through the project we will establish a Regional Working Platform composed of CSOs, public authorities and scientific community that will be dedicated to develop a regional policy on sustainable agriculture, biodiversity conservation and animal welfare in the territory of the Western Balkans. These policies will be developed on the basis of the various researches aiming to understand how harmonised legislation and practice in the field of agriculture is with the principles of sustainable agriculture.
At the same time the project plans the organisation of trainings for CSOs, aimed to develop capacities for advocacy and policy writing as well as financing the best advocacy project proposals in area of sustainable agriculture in the Western Balkan countries. Having in mind the importance of informing and including the public, we will organise trainings for the representatives of media and develop educative materials about socio-economic benefits of sustainable agriculture, biodiversity conservation and animal welfare, i.e. materials about importance of the cooperation between CSOs, decision-makers and scientific institutions in the process of creating and implementing policies and legislation.
Project is implemented by a regional consortium of CSOs from Albania (Institute for Environmental Policy – IEP), FYROM (FLOROZON), Kosovo* (NGO AKTIV) and Montenegro (Center for Protection and Research of Birds – CZIP), led by Organisation for Respect and Care of Animals – ORCA from Serbia. Beside partner organisations, the following 15 associate partners – public authorities, scientific institutions and CSOs – from the Western Balkans countries are included in the project: Serbia - Group for Institutional Support to Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection; Veterinary Office, Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection; Environmental Protection Agency, Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental protection; Montenegro - Municipality of Tivat; University of Montenegro, Biotechnical Faculty Podgorica; former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: Ministry for Environment and Physical Planning of the Republic of Macedonia; Faculty for Agricultural Sciences and Food, University of Cyril and Methodius Skopje; Association of Farmers of Republic of Macedonia; Alliance of the Cooperatives in Macedonia; Albania: Agency for Rural and Agricultural Development, Kukës Municipality; Regional Directory of Agriculture - Dibër (DRB Dibër);Kosovo*: Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Rural Development (ARDP); Regional Development Agency – North (RDA North); Ministry of Economic Development (MZHE).
The project lasts four years (2016-2019) and is funded by the European Union, represented by European Commission, Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) as part of Civil Society Facility and Media Programme 2014-2015. Total budget of the project is 960.760 EUR.
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* This designation is without prejudice to positions or status, and in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence
This project aims to strengthen capacities of civil society organisations (CSOs) for advocacy, using research, training and networking. Through the project we will establish a Regional Working Platform composed of CSOs, public authorities and scientific community that will be dedicated to develop a regional policy on sustainable agriculture, biodiversity conservation and animal welfare in the territory of the Western Balkans. These policies will be developed on the basis of the various researches aiming to understand how harmonised legislation and practice in the field of agriculture is with the principles of sustainable agriculture.
At the same time the project plans the organisation of trainings for CSOs, aimed to develop capacities for advocacy and policy writing as well as financing the best advocacy project proposals in area of sustainable agriculture in the Western Balkan countries. Having in mind the importance of informing and including the public, we will organise trainings for the representatives of media and develop educative materials about socio-economic benefits of sustainable agriculture, biodiversity conservation and animal welfare, i.e. materials about importance of the cooperation between CSOs, decision-makers and scientific institutions in the process of creating and implementing policies and legislation.
Project is implemented by a regional consortium of CSOs from Albania (Institute for Environmental Policy – IEP), FYROM (FLOROZON), Kosovo* (NGO AKTIV) and Montenegro (Center for Protection and Research of Birds – CZIP), led by Organisation for Respect and Care of Animals – ORCA from Serbia. Beside partner organisations, the following 15 associate partners – public authorities, scientific institutions and CSOs – from the Western Balkans countries are included in the project: Serbia - Group for Institutional Support to Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection; Veterinary Office, Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection; Environmental Protection Agency, Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental protection; Montenegro - Municipality of Tivat; University of Montenegro, Biotechnical Faculty Podgorica; former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: Ministry for Environment and Physical Planning of the Republic of Macedonia; Faculty for Agricultural Sciences and Food, University of Cyril and Methodius Skopje; Association of Farmers of Republic of Macedonia; Alliance of the Cooperatives in Macedonia; Albania: Agency for Rural and Agricultural Development, Kukës Municipality; Regional Directory of Agriculture - Dibër (DRB Dibër);Kosovo*: Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Rural Development (ARDP); Regional Development Agency – North (RDA North); Ministry of Economic Development (MZHE).
The project lasts four years (2016-2019) and is funded by the European Union, represented by European Commission, Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) as part of Civil Society Facility and Media Programme 2014-2015. Total budget of the project is 960.760 EUR.
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* This designation is without prejudice to positions or status, and in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence
