EU Delegation to Serbia supported 22 civil society organisations with 2,4 million euros through projects aimed at corruption, discrimination and Serbia-Kosovo cooperation through cultural, media and youth initiatives.
The importance of the EU Programme Support to Civil Society 2013 is not only financial, but should also contribute to improved life quality, legal, health and social security, said Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport at the grants award ceremony held at the Centre for Cultural Decontamination.
From 2011-2013, the European Union have supported 62 projects with 6,2 million euros, Davenport said and stressed that EU would continue to support non-governmental sector.
“EU need the help from CSOs to create a better Serbia,” Davenport said.
According to him, situation in Serbia has improved in the last couple of years when it comes to operational environment for these organisations, assessing that the State recognised their peculiarities and facilitated their operation through legal framework.
The following organisations obtained grants: Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, Centre for Democracy, Transparency Serbia, Centre for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA), Centre for Free Elections and Democracy (CeSID), BIRN and Belgrade Open School. Their projects are focused on fight against corruption.
Projects focused on fight against discrimination enabled granting to Group 484, Uzice Child Rights Centre, Philanthropy, Ecumenical Humanitarian Organisation, Asylum Protection Centre, Centre for Advanced Legal Studies, Association of Lawyers for Medical and Health Law of Serbia, Mental Disability Rights Initiative and Incest Trauma Centre.
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, Integration Workshop, Centre for Cultural Decontamination, NGO Libero, Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence and Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia received grants for projects aimed at Serbia-Kosovo cooperation.
