Call for proposals - Civil Society Facility and Media Programme 2022 and Thematic Programme for Human Rights and Democracy 2022-2023
On 25th March 2020, the Council of the European Union decided to open accession negotiations with Albania. The first intergovernmental conferences was held on 19 July 2022 and the first step in the accession negotiation process, the screening of EU laws (acquis), started immediately thereafter.
For an aspiring EU member country, a vibrant civil society contributes to fulfilling the conditions for EU membership. Civil society organisations (hereafter CSOs) allow citizens to take an active part in setting the political agenda. Therefore civil society plays an important role in the EU negotiation process to ensure that citizens have sufficient influence on and ownership of the reforms leading to enlargement. The effectiveness of civil society is assessed as part of the political criteria and particularly the “Functioning of Democratic Institutions” along with the role played by the Parliament and the elections in a functioning democratic society.
Civil society and media organisations in Albania play an important role to promote democratic debate, to protect the respect of fundamental rights and equality, as well as to contribute to key sectoral reforms. The engagement of CSOs is essential to ensure strengthened participation of citizens to the decision making process, through effective consultations and civic participation, both at central and local level. In this historical moment for the country, civil society needs even more support to be able to play fully its role.
Freedom of expression and media are pillars of a democracy and a key indicator of a country's readiness to become part of the EU. Media play a key role in providing accurate, reliable information to foster people's understanding and ensure informed participation in public debate. Freedom of expression and media freedom are therefore assessed under Cluster 1 “Fundamentals” and in particular under Chapter 23 “Justice and Fundamental Rights” and also under Chapter 10 “Information Society and Media”.
This call for proposals is financed under both the Civil Society Facility and Media Programme and the Thematic Programme for Human Rights and Democracy, in line with the objectives of the respective programmes as explained thereafter.
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